Ashwin Spins New Zealand To Defeat

Ashwin Spins New Zealand To Defeat

R Ashwin (left) celebrates the wicket of Ross Taylor with MS Dhoni.

©REUTERS/Vivek Prakash. Picture Supplied by Action Images

India 438 (Pujara 159, Dhoni 73) beat
New Zealand 159 & 164 by an innings & 115 runs
First Test, Hyderabad, Day Four
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two | Day Three

New Zealand’s middle-order collapsed to the spin of R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha for the second time in the match as they lost the first Test against India by an innings and 115 runs on the fourth day in Hyderabad.

They began the day on 41 for one and progressed nicely to 98 before losing their second wicket as Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson took their second-wicket partnership to 72. Both played circumspectly and the run rate remained at about two per over throughout, but at least they provided some solidity which had been sadly lacking from New Zealand’s effort in the first innings.

However, the fall of McCullum for 42 began a familiar procession as they lost their last seven wickets for just 26 runs. Ross Taylor made only nine prior to being bowled by Ashwin, while Daniel Flynn tried his best, surviving 53 balls for his 11, before being dismissed leg-before to the same bowler. Williamson had fallen to Ojha three overs earlier and when James Franklin – who had been the most adhesive of New Zealand’s batsmen in the first innings – fell two overs after Flynn the end was nigh.

Ashwin removed Kruger van Wyk to complete ten wickets in the match and went on to match his first innings tally of six by adding the tail end pair of Trent Boult and Chris Martin to end with match figures of 12 for 85. Ojha ended with three for 48 to give him match figures of six for 92.

The second and final Test begins on Friday in Bangalore.