New Zealand 142 for 5 (de Grandhomme 8*, Watling 0*, Shami 2-45) trail India 242 by 100 runs
India began day two needing a big effort to stay alive in the Christchurch Test, but by the end of the first session they had sensationally pulled ahead of New Zealand with five wickets for just 79 runs. They had bowled 23 overs without a wicket on the first evening, but they refused to die, bowling with accuracy, venom and enjoying appreciable seam movement off the surface. At lunch New Zealand trailed by 100 runs with five wickets in hand, with their last recognised pair in the middle.
India’s pumped-up leader Virat Kohli lived every moment, giving a send-off to Kane Williamson, giving it back to the crowd, taking a sensational catch diving forward at slip and then taking offence at the batsman waiting for replays to confirm the catch was clean. He could afford to be so pumped up of course because his bowlers gave him their best collective session of the series.
Full report to follow