India take grip on day two

India finished day two of the second Test against New Zealand in a commanding position. The hosts were in the driver’s seat with a score of 178 for 2. Virender Sehwag fail just four runs short of his 23rd century while Gautama Gambhir found form with a sedate half century.
Earlier, in the morning, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh did little work of the New Zealand batsmen and until the lunch break the guests were reeling at 341/9. With the addition of just 9 more runs, the New Zealand innings folded. Both Zaheer and Harbhajan took 4 wickets apiece.
Sehwag and Gambhir started the Indian innings on a watchful note. They knew how difficult the batting could be as they were witness to the fall of NZ wickets. However, as they set in, both started showing their class with cuts, drives and pulls. Before late, Sehwag reached his half-century as he was the more aggressive of the two, with a strike-rate of 80 as against Gambhir’s 41.
Both however, could not capitalize and fail at the same score of 160. Sehwag was the first to go and Gambhir followed suit after four balls.

New Zealand frustrate India

But for Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand top order came good in the second Test on day one against India at Hyderabad, which proved to be a tough day for the Indian bowlers. Opener Tim McIntosh and paired up with Martin Guptil for a 147-run second wicket partnership. Riding on the partnership New Zealand ended the first day on a commanding 258/4 in 90 overs.
Guptil who received a life when he was out off a no-ball from S. Shreeshant, cost India a lot as he went on to make a fluent 85. He missed out on a deserving century. However, the highlight of the day was a superb century from opener McIntosh. His 102 came from 254 balls with 10 hits to the fence and one over it. He was again involved in a 55-run partnership with Ross Taylor for the third wicket. Taylor made a fluent 24 off 53 deliveries.
Even though the Indian bowlers could not perform too well on the opening day could pick up only 4 New Zealand wickets, the visitors could not score freely as well. Through the entire day, the visitors could score at only 2.86 per over. Zaheer Khan was the pick of the bowlers for India who took two wickets.