1st Test, Day 2: Play to resume from 11:05 am after NZ reduce India to 13/3

Bengaluru, Oct 17 (IANS) Persistent rain made a return to stop day two’s proceedings in the first Test between India and New Zealand, before the BCCI said action would resume from 11:05am at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

At the time of interruption, New Zealand took the upper hand in the match by reducing India to 13/3 in 12.4 overs. Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first under overcast skies at the venue after day one was lost to rain in Bengaluru.

India made two changes from the side who beat Bangladesh at Kanpur earlier this month – Sarfaraz Khan replaced Shubman Gill, who had neck stiffness, while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav came in place of pacer Akash Deep.

In favourable conditions, New Zealand’s three seamers were at their best to trouble the Indian batters with swing and seam. Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to survive despite being beaten multiple times by the pacers. But the same didn’t happen from the other end.

Captain Rohit Sharma was far from his fluent best and even survived an lbw appeal on umpire’s call off Matt Henry. But in a bid to step out against a masterly Tim Southee, Rohit was castled through the gate while going for a big drive against the inswinger.

Virat Kohli’s surprising promotion to number three earned him vociferous chants from the sparse crowd at his adopted home ground. But it was brought to a quick end when William O’Rourke got extra bounce on a nip-backer which Kohli looked to defend, but it took the glove edge to forward leaping Glenn Phillips at leg-gully, as he departed for a nine-ball duck.

More trouble followed India as Sarfaraz tried to counterattack with a forceful lofted drive, but ended up mis-hitting off Henry to Devon Conway at mid-off, who stuck out his right hand and took a stunning catch. Pant was a curious mix of caution and aggressiveness, including trying to reverse-sweep off Henry, before rain brought a halt to the proceedings.

Brief Scores: India 13/3 in 12.4 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal eight not out; William O’Rourke 1-0) against New Zealand