Devon Conway’s composed and gritty unbeaten 47 stood out as a beacon of solidity as New Zealand embarked on their second Test against India in Pune. On a day where bowlers had to toil hard for breakthroughs, the New Zealand openers crafted a measured approach to reach a promising score of 92 for 2 by lunch, setting the stage for what promises to be an intriguing contest between the bat and the ball.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Blackcaps entered the fray with one forced modification to their lineup due to a glute injury sustained by Matt Henry, giving Mitchell Santner an opportunity. For India, the team management took a strategic decision to implement three changes, bringing in Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, and Akash Deep at the expense of Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj.
The match saw an early appearance of spin, almost as if acknowledging Pune’s affinity for aiding slower bowlers. Despite this, New Zealand’s batsmen remained unfazed, showcasing resilience and occasional panache to reach the boundary on several instances early in the innings. Akash Deep, a pivotal figure in India’s pace attack, found his lines slightly straying on occasion, allowing the New Zealand batsmen to capitalize on his marginal errors.
With the pitch offering scant assistance to seamers, spin was employed as soon as the eighth over of the game. R Ashwin, India’s seasoned off-spinner, played a starring role immediately, delivering a ball that spun sharply, striking Tom Latham on the pads and leaving his bat beaten. This early spark was soon followed by Washington Sundar joining the attack, with Spin’s captivating contest against the left-right duo of Conway and Will Young unfolding at brisk speeds.
The spinners operated predominantly at a pace around the early to mid-90 kmph, predominantly opting for slider deliveries to keep the batsmen on their toes. The surface, albeit harboring potential turn when pace was significantly reduced, did not yield many significant deviations.
. Thus, giant appeals were few despite the spinners consistently flirting around the batsmen’s outside edges.
New Zealand’s measured approach, while lacking overt aggression, set a reasonable scoring rhythm. The balance of caution and opportunism was visible, with the partnership ensuring gaps were found and the scoreboard ticked over, despite the constant examination by India’s spinners.
A dramatic moment unfolded in the session when Will Young, who appeared set, gloved a delivery straying down the leg side to the waiting wicketkeeper. The on-field umpire initially dismissed India’s appeal, but a strategic review revealed a faint touch, overturning the decision and awarding India their second breakthrough.
Rachin Ravindra had his moments of discomfort, particularly when Ravindra Jadeja’s deliveries zeroed in on his pads, evoking India to take a review that eventually fell through. Jadeja, however, showed glimpses of menace that seemed the most troubling to the left-handers.
The first session, an enticing mix of thoughtful batting punctuated by spurts of bowling brilliance, left Conway holding New Zealand’s innings in place with a steadfast resistance just shy of a half-century, highlighting the calm against India’s calculated spin assault.
As the afternoon session loomed, both teams were set to reassess strategies, with India seeking to capitalize on the new open doors while New Zealand aimed to build on Conway’s solid foundation. With the skies clear and a hot day in prospect, the coming overs promise to enrich what is set to be a riveting cricketing spectacle.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 92/2 (Devon Conway 47*; R Ashwin 2-33) vs India.