Heading into the final day of the first Test, India find themselves in a position where they virtually can’t lose the match, while the best New Zealand can hope for is some rain and a draw. Join The Roar for live scores of Day 5 from 2pm (AEST).
After four day’s of play, New Zealand are completely out of the match thanks to some ordinary batting performances and little to no penetration with the ball.
After suffering a first innings loss where India put up 318, compared to New Zealand’s 262 after the tourists made a good start with Kane Williamson top scoring, things have gone from bad to worse.
They couldn’t buy a wicket in the Indian seccond innings, with the hosts going to stumps on Day 3 at 1 for 159. What followed yesterday was an exhibition in batting from Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajonkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Jadeja, who all got scores.
India would declare their innings shut at 5 for 377, a massive lead of 433 before reducing the Black-caps to 4 for 93 by the time stumps rolled around.
Ashwin had three wickets from 18 overs while Jadeja, who bowled excellently in combination with Ashwin has ten maidens from 14 overs. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav were the pacemen, but barely did a thing as New Zealand’s top order fell to bits.
Kane Williamson showed some fight by getting to 25 before being trapped LBW by Ashwin, while Luke Ronchi is not out on 38 at stumps and, batting with Mitchell Santner, who came in as a night-watchman, may be their last chance to salvage anything from the match.
If Ravichandran Ashwin continues to bowl as well as he has, it’s not just this match that is looking on the ropes for the tourists, but the whole series.
He is the key to India’s attack when they play on the sub-continent and New Zealand’s batsmen just look powerless to stop him.
Ashwin could well decide exactly how much play we get on Day 5 and at what point India turn the screws and finish the match off.
With no rain expected on the final day, New Zealand are simply hoping for some sort of miracle to occur, and they will need to start focusing on getting batting practice for the second Test, before trying to get away with a draw in the final session of play.
Prediction
Simply put, India won’t be losing the Test match from here. Based on the way New Zealand’s middle and lower order crumbled in the first innings, it shouldn’t take long to finish it all off either, especially when you consider how well Ashwin is bowling.
Could well be over by lunch, and if not then it won’t be long after.
India in a canter.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this final day’s play in the first Test between India and New Zealand from 2pm (AEST) and don’t forget to get involved by dropping a comment below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
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