New Zealand knocked over India's trail and have taken a 32-run lead, which could go a long way in them getting a result in the rain-interrupted World Test Championship (WTC) final against India. Skipper Kane Williamson, patient and watchful self grinded and helped his side get through a tough time when the Indian seamer Mohammed Shami was breathing fire.
Shami's three dismissals and Ishant Sharma accounting for Henry Nicholls meant New Zealand were 162/6, still, 55 away from India's total were staring down the barrel. However, Williamson and NEw Zealand got a lift from the pace-duo of Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee, who hit some quickfire runs to put India on backfoot.
New Zealand were 135/5 at tea and India needed quick wickets to enforce a collapse and get a first innings lead. However, Williamson stood like a wall at one end, which meant the Virat Kohli-led side had to make something happen at the other end and the enforcer Shami did it again as he trapped the all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme in front of the wickets and New Zealand were six down.
Since the tail was on the other end now, India would have fancied their chances to bowl them out pretty cheaply. However, the Kiwis' tail decided to wag and it wagged and how. Kyle Jamieson scored 21 runs off just 16 balls including a humongous six and Tim Southee played a 30-run knock off just 46 balls including four and two sixes that helped New Zealand reduce the deficit and take the lead.
Williamson was dismissed by Ishant Sharma, one short of a half-century and the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin cleaned up the tail by taking wickets of Southee and Neil Wagner respectively. Shami was the best bowler on the show for India as he finished with figures of 4/76 as New Zealand took a lead of 32 runs, after being bowled out for 249.
