Indian seamers completely dominated the first session, compelling Kiwi batters to struggle to find runs. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers, who drew the first blood in the morning by dismissing veteran batter Ross Taylor.
Shami didn’t just stop there as he soon removed New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling, who is playing his last Test match. The right-armer set the batsman up with the classical tactic of bowling a few short and wide deliveries before bowling a lethal outswinger.
Shami bowled a peach of a delivery that pitched in the middle and went away slightly. But, unfortunately, Watling played down the line entirely wrong as the red-leather crashed through his gates to hit the top of the off-stump.
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Bowlers dominate to pack New Zealand under 250
Shami continued the momentum as he picked up the prized wickets of Colin de Grandhomme (13) and Kyle Jamieson (21), who came to score quick runs in order to excel the run rate. Shami set up De Grandhomme nicely by going wide of the crease to trap him in front of the wickets.
The 30-year-old bagged his fourth scalp when he removed Jamieson, who was going all over with his attacking batting. Shami bowled a bouncer, which was whacked by the Kiwi all-rounder but got caught at the fine leg by Jasprit Bumrah.
Apart from Shami, his partner-in-crime Ishant Sharma also bowled brilliantly on the fifth day. First Ishant removed Henry Nicholls (7) in the 70th over of New Zealand’s first innings. He came round the wicket and bowled an angled delivery, which forced Nicholls to have a go at it. As a result, it carried a thick outside edge, and Rohit Sharma took a remarkable catch in the slip cordon.
Ishant picked one more scalp on the day, and this time it was a jackpot as the tall pacer got rid of New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who scored a well-made 49 runs from 177 deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed the last wicket in the form of Tim Southee (30) to pack New Zealand’s first innings for 249 runs.
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