Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane set their sights on the World Test Championship final. Video / SNTV
With dark clouds overhead and a solid smattering of grass on the wicket, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to bowl first against India in the World Test Championship final.
The Black Caps opted for an all-seam attack, and they got through 64.4 overs before badlight brought an end to proceedings on day two.
Southee started poorly, struggling to find the right line in his opening spell with several balls sprayed down leg or well wide off-stump. His aggression was admirable, his execution less so, with plenty of full deliveries either not troubling the Indian openers or being cashed in for a solid run rate.
He was better in his second spell and then steady after lunch, and it looked like he was finding his rhythm before bad light interrupted, with one of his overs being the best of the test as he mixed variations to have both Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane helplessly playing and missing.
Southee also gets an extra non-bowling mark for a superb low diving catch in the slips to remove Rohit Sharma. It all counts.
Trent Boult took the big wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara. Photo / Photosport
Much like Southee, Boult was surprisingly pedestrian with the new ball, though also didn't find much luck with a few inside edges squirting away harmlessly into the leg side.
He wasn't used again in the first session, nor immediately after lunch, but when he was brought back into the attack, his first ball to Cheteshwar Pujara was a perfect inswinger, trapping the key Indian batsman lbw.
He was also certain he had dismissed Kohli down the leg side only for no sound to show up on umpire review, and was later joined by his new-ball partner in emphatic declarations of non-wickets, as Southee had already started his celebrations for dismissing Rahane before looking up and seeing the rest of his teammates unmoved, and bemused.
Kyle Jamieson
Figures: 14-9-14-1
Rating: 8/10
In the past five years of test cricket, Jamieson has the best economy rate amongst bowlers to have taken at least 40 wickets, and he put on another accuracy masterclass, giving the Indian batsmen little to work with and at times ramping up the pressure.
Jamieson produced the most seam movement of the Black Caps bowlers, and, unsurprisingly given his tall frame, the most bounce when pitching on a good length. The Indian batsmen tried to negate the plentiful swing on offer by batting a step out of their crease, safe in the knowledge that the New Zealand attack featured no lightning-quick speedsters, but Jamieson provided a reminder of the dangers of that strategy to Shubman Gill, when he clattered him on the helmet with a rising delivery into the body.
He started his spell with five consecutive overs bowling to Gill, but his test introduction to Sharma couldn't have gone better, luring him out of the crease with a full delivery that moved away, and getting the edge to Southee in the slips.
One possible improvement for day three could be making Kohli play more, with the steady line outside off-stump helping to restrict runs but not putting the classy captain into significant difficulty.
Colin de Grandhomme
Figures: 11-6-23-0
Rating: 4/10
Colin de Grandhomme had some unsuccessful appeals. Photo / Getty
Second to Jamieson in the aforementioned economy stat, it seemed like de Grandhomme would be tailor-made to the conditions but he struggled early on, giving the Indian batsmen a freebie every over which allowed them to release the pressure built by Jamieson.
Normally used to build pressure, with wickets a helpful bonus, de Grandhomme lost his line and length early, with too many short and wide deliveries, and his two lbw shouts were dismissed – one for height and the other for a thick inside edge which went unnoticed by the Black Caps fielders, who subsequently wasted a review.
Much like his fellow seamers, the mulleted medium pacer got better as the day progressed, though his 2.09 economy rate probably tells a slightly inflated story of his frugality, benefitting from a period where India weren't too concerned about attacking.
Neil Wagner
Figures: 10-3-28-1
Rating: 7/10
Neil Wagner took the wicket of Shubman Gill. Photo / Getty
Held back until the 25th over, Wagner made an impact with his third ball of the test, when he removed Gill with a superb ball on a perfect line and length which kissed the edge through to BJ Watling behind the stumps.
As he did during the two tests against England, Wagner was happy to bowl full and try and swing the ball back in to the right-handers, but still had his trademark short ball in reserve, as Pujara found out when he was clobbered by a delivery which sent the stem guard of his helmet flying.
Wagner should get more use as the pitch deteriorates, and his bowling will likely be extremely crucial in India's second innings – if the weather allows the game to progress that far.
