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WTC final | Day 5: Mohammed Shami, Tim Southee keep batsmen on edge to keep contest alive

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‘The Ulitmate Test’ has reached its pinnacle on to the sixth and the reserve day on the back of persistent bad weather across the five days of the game and impressive cricket from sides, who did not give up an inch in pursuit of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship.

At the end of the day’s play on a penultimate day, India were 64 at the loss of both openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma to the guile and variety of Tim Southee. The three-quarter seam delivery that he has developed in his armoury to deceive batsmen has paid him rich dividend son the tour of England and accounted for both Sharma and Gill on the fifth day.

Cheteshwar Pujara carried on with his tried and tested approach of holding fort one end with the best possible defence while Virat Kohli was tested by Southee towards the fag end of the day after he walked to bat after the departure of Rohit Sharma.

Earlier, New Zealand’s first innings was halted at 249 after they took a vital lead of 32 runs. Skipper Kane Williamson held on end strongly while valuable contributions from lower-order batsmen such as Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson carried over India’s first innings score of 217.

The fifth day did not begin as the Blackcaps would have planned with India bowling tight lines in a similar display of discipline they had put on the third day. However, there was a definite change in their modus operandi as Mohammed Shami in particular switched to bowling fuller lengths.

Ross Taylor was caught at mid-off by a diving Gill when Shami enticed him to go for a drive on the up while Henry Nicholls was done in by Ishant Sharm from round the wicket. Shami was not done for the day and found a perfect delivery to hit the top of BJ Watling’s middle stump to leave New Zealand rattled by the lunch interval.

The post-lunch session began on an auspicious note as Shami trapped Colin de Grandhomme with a hooping inswinger and left Blackcaps in the lurch. However, the old nemesis of the Indian bowling lineup—the lower order batsmen stitched a valuable partnership with Williamson to frustrate Indians and took their side past the 212-run mark.

Ishant Sharma got the big wicket of Kane Williamson and R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja gave much-needed relief to a tiring Shami and Ishant by cleaning up Neil Wagner and Southee.

India have a lead of 32 runs and eight wickets in hands with 98 overs remaining to be bowled on the final day of the Test provided the weather god will finally be kind to the game and its fans. 

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