Hyderabad: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s career-best figures of six for 31 helped India easily enforce the follow-on against New Zealand on third day, but inclement weather stood in the hosts’ path to victory in the first cricket Test here on Saturday.
The New Zealand first innings folded at 159 as Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha (three for 44) shared the bulk of the spoils. India claimed a 279-run first innings lead.
In the second innings New Zealand were 41 for one when the umpires decided to call off play because of rain. Only 37.3 overs were possible on the day.
Brendon McCullum was batting on 16 in the company of Kane Williamson, who had scored three. The match was stopped 47 minutes before the scheduled tea break.
New Zealand still require 239 runs to erase the deficit, which looks highly unlikely unles the weather gods intervene a lot more.
Resuming at 106 for five on day three, the Kiwis lost their remaining wickets at the stroke of lunch with the spin twins’ Ashwin and Ojha wrapping it up in quick time. Only 19.3 overs were required to take the remaining five New Zealand wickets. (PTI)
