India 270-5 at tea on day 4, 1st test vs. NZ
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Opener Shikhar Dhawan made an outstanding century Sunday to support India's bid for an extraordinary win over New Zealand in the first cricket at Eden Park.
Dhawan was out shortly before tea on the fourth day for 115, having reached his second century in six tests, and India was 270-5, needing 137 runs more to attain their winning target of 407.
Dhawan shared a critical third wicket partnership of 126 with Virat Kohli (67) which subtly turned the balance of the match in India's favor. At tea Rohit Sharma was 19 not out and MS Dhoni 2.
India is bidding to be only the fifth team in tests to achieve a winning total of more than 400 in the fourth innings.
New Zealand, which suddenly found itself struggling to save a match it had dominated over the first two days, stuck two important blows when it dismissed Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane (18) in the last seven overs of the second session.
Third seamer Neil Wagner made the critical breakthrough for New Zealand when he dismissed Dhawan in the 75th over. After an innings of manifest patience and caution, Dhawan pushed at a shorter ball outside off stump and feathered a catch to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, for his fourth catch of the innings and seventh of the match.
Rahane was then out an over before tea, judged lbw to Trent Boult who bowled the first over with the second new ball. Television replays showed the in-swinging delivery from Boult took the edge of Rahane's bat before striking his pad.
Those two dismissals slowed what had been India's surprising comfortable progress towards a win in the first match of the two-test series.
That India is in a position to win is due to New Zealand's blunder in not enforcing the follow on after it had led by 301 runs on the first innings — bowling out India for 202 in reply to 503 — and the collapse that saw it all out for 105 in its second innings.
India resumed Sunday at 87-1, lost the early wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara (23) but then began to turn the tide of the match in its favor as Dhawan anchored its innings through the first and second sessions.
Dhawan reached his century, his first since his 187 on debut against Australia in March, in 250 minutes, from 169 balls with 11 fours and a six. His partnership with Kohli altered the balance of the match and made the tourists recognize that its winning target, though substantial, was achievable.
But Dhawan's loss so close to tea was a blow and Rahane's unfortunate dismissal made their task more difficult. Sharma has batted himself in, taking 90 minutes to compile his 19 runs and captain MS Dhoni has arrived at the crease as an experienced and calming presence.
