Ravichandran Ashwin once again showed why he is one of the deadliest bowlers in the subcontinent. New Zealand had no clue to his flawless off spin. Ronchi and Santer provided some resistance down the order to delay the inevitable.
With only six wickets in hand they could have been hoping for some divine intervention in the form of rain. New Zealand began their vigil at 93 for 4 on an overcast morning with Luke Ronchi on 38 and Mitchell Santner on 8.Ronchi got to a well-fought fifty and forced Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli to change around the field quite a bit. He was making them think after the first few overs and was looking more comfortable in rotating the strike around with firm punches down to long-off or dabs square off the wicket off the back-foot. Santner was continuing to play rearguard, happy and content with watching the ball and defending. Just after reaching the half century mark Ronchi shifted gears and started playing more aggressively using his feet against both the spinners.Soon after the drinks break Ronchi looked to deposit Jadeja over the mid-wicket fence but got a leading edge to point. The end of the 102-run stand also saw Kohli bringing back Ashwin immediately.
The offie bowled better line and length and asked questions immediately to the new man at the crease. Watling and santner stiched a patient 46 run partnership before Kohli brought Shami back into the attack. Watling had his bat nowhere close to the ball when he was struck in front of the leg stump. A marginal call went in Shami’s favour. Soon after that, he broke through the defence of Craig with a sharp full one from round the wicket. New Zealand went into Lunch at 205 for 7. Shami’s short spell reminded shades of Waqar Younus’s deadly reverse swing. Ashwin came back into the attack straight after lunch.He removed the well set Santner for 71. Ball pitched well outside leg on a fullish length, reared up with a fizz that squared Santner up, forcing him to edge to gully. The end of his defiant 71 was also the end of New Zealand’s fight. soon knocked Sodhi’s leg stump out with a clever variant of the drifter to get his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests. He would soon make it six by trapping Neil Wagner in front to pick up his fifth ten-wicket haul in Tests.It was Ashwin’s 5th 10 wicket haul equalling Harbhajan Singh.
India registered a 197-run win with the next one to start at Eden Gardens on 30th September.
