New Zealand were in front in the first session of the penultimate day of the first Test against India in Kanpur. Pacer Tim Southee pushed the home side on backfoot after scalping two wickets in one over which included the dismissals of Mayank Agarwal and Ravindra Jadeja in a span of three deliveries.
India began the proceedings on the fourth day at 14/1 with Mayank and Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease. The two batters had added 18 runs before Kyle Jamieson removed Pujara for 22.
Agarwal was then joined by the stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane in the middle and tried to provide resistance to the side but Rahane’s rough patch continued as he was trapped in front of the stumps by Ajaz Patel for 4 to reduce India to 41/3.
Rahane’s scalp was followed by a couple of more wickets in the form of Agarwal and Jadeja’s dismissal in quick succession and the hosts were left tottering at 51/5.
But it was Shreyas Iyer along with R Ashwin who made sure that there were no further fall of wickets in the first session as India were 84/5, leading New Zealand by 133 runs at lunch.