Resuming the innings at 93 for four under heavy clouds, Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner tried their best to take the fight to Indian camp. The latter, in particular, proved to be a tough nut to crack for Team India.
India celebrated their 500th Test defeating New Zealand by 197 runs in the first Test here on Monday. The visitors failed their 'trial by spin' as they were bowled out for 236 early in the second session the fifth and final day at the Green Park Stadium.
Resuming the innings at 93 for four under heavy clouds, Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner tried their best to take the fight to Indian camp. The latter, in particular, proved to be a tough nut to crack for Team India.
The 102-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ronchi and Santner tested the patience of Virat Kohli and company. As they battled the Indian bowlers, their teammate Mark Craig was ruled out of the rest of the series due to side strain. Off-spinner Jeetan Patel has been named as his replacement.
Santner and Ronchi rotated the strike at will to reach their half-centuries. Ronchi's backfoot punches forced Kohli to change field quite often during the first hour of play. Santner, meanwhile, was quieter and content defending the ball.
After Day Four's play on Sunday, Ashwin showed corn on his spinning finger and as he bowled a few short deliveries on Monday, his fitness was in doubt. That forced Kohli to bring in Umesh Yadav to control the flow of runs.
Ronchi kept putting pressure on India by chipping Yadav comfortably over mid-on frequently. But few spinning deliveries here and there from other end still kept Kohli reassured that a breakthrough was just round the corner.
By now, Ronchi grew in confidence and was openly attacking the Indian spinners coming down the wicket. This proved fatal as he got ambitious against a much quicker Jadeja.
After the first drinks break, Ronchi tried to send Jadeja over the mid-wicket boundary instead popped up leading edge to the point. This was not just the end of a partnership but also the beginning of the Black Caps' fall.
Encouraged by the fall of the day's first wicket, Kohli brought back Ashwin to launch his double spin offensive. Santner was happy to see how new batsman BJ Watling was giving him company playing with soft hands. The two added 46 runs to infuse some confidence back.
However, Mohammad Shami struck twice in a short span of time to get rid of Watling (18) and an unfit Craig (1) to hand over the baton to Ashwin to complete the formalities. Watling was unlucky to be given out leg before as the ball was clearly following line after pitching on leg stump.
Watching other batters walk back in quick succession, a well-set Santner was getting frustrated at the other end. And when he got a fullish length ball from Ashwin, spinning squarishly after pitching on leg stump, he opened up his stance and ended up edging it to the gully to end his defiant knock of 71.
Santner spent 208 minutes in the middle and faced 179 deliveries, maximum by any visitor, during his knock.
Ashwin completed the formalities soon, first by knocking Ish Sodhi's leg stump out before trapping Neil Wagner in front of the wickets to capture his 10th in the match. It was Ashwin's fifth 10-wicket haul in Tests.
The next Test will be played in Kolkata from Friday.
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