India v/s New Zealand: You win some, you win some more

As the Indian team sensed that the win was not far away, and that Virat Kohli does not have to set a 6.30am alarm to get up early and head to the stadium for another day's play on Tuesday, the captain engaged the crowd with some antics.

He knew the importance of the few thousand spectators cheering for his bowlers, local boy Mohammed Shami in particular. He signalled to the crowd as if to say that he could not hear their voice; he took the second new ball from the fourth umpire when it was due and waved it to the crowd before the official Richard Kettleborough showed it to the scorers.

If Kohli was having fun in his way in anticipation of a big Indian victory, teammate Murali Vijay made some dance moves at first slip, moving comically and turning towards the BC Roy Club House End perhaps to catch his family's attention.

The next delivery, Vijay was alert enough to hold on to a skier by New Zealand No. 11 Trent Boult and in the process also help India pouch the No. 1 rank in Tests, regaining it from Pakistan after holding it for a week in the West Indies.

Kohli's India completed a clinical victory by 178 runs to clinch the three-match Test series 2-0 with one day to spare here on Monday. Faced with a huge target of 376, New Zealand had to work their guts out for more than five sessions if they were to save the Test. But they folded up for 197 in less than five-and-a-half hours, bringing an end to the lively Test when just two overs were left in the day for the Kiwis to take it into the fifth day.

It was a collective bowling effort by India with nine wickets shared equally between Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja while Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided the beautiful sight of sending a stump cartwheeling when he beat the defence of first innings top-scorer Jeetan Patel.

You cannot keep Ashwin quiet for long. After the New Zealanders played him out quite well in the first innings in which the off-spinner bowled only eight overs – the medium-pacers did the bulk of bowling on seamer-friendly conditions – the Tamil Nadu bowler was in his elements on a wearing fourth day Eden Gardens pitch here on Monday.

Ashwin picked up 3/82 to lay the platform for the win that was completed by the combined efforts of his spin-twin Jadeja, Shami and Kumar.

The win here made their 250th home Test that much sweeter in the same manner in which India crushed the New Zealanders by 197 runs in their 500th Test last week in Kanpur. The win also extended India's unbeaten run in Tests to 12 (nine wins and three draws) since the loss to Galle in Sri Lanka last year. At home, India have been undefeated for the last 13 Tests (11 wins and 2 draws) since the defeat to England at this very venue in December 2012.

While Ashwin bowled a long opening spell of 22 overs from the pavilion end and picking up two wickets, he changed ends and came from the far end to further trouble to Kiwis.

The target was never going to be achieved by the struggling Kiwis who had enough doubts in their minds even before landing here. Against the ferocious Ashwin and Jadeja, and the reverse swing practitioner Shami, who also hits the deck beautifully with the seam position, and the swing of Kumar, New Zealand had no chance.

Their inept batting justified Virat Kohli's stance of playing with just four bowlers contrary to the beliefs at the start of the Test if India would require five bowlers.

India also owe it to their reliable wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha for taking India past 250 in their second innings – 273 all out. Saha, in the company of Kumar and Shami, resisted the New Zealand medium-pacers who failed to use the most of the morning conditions, for an hour. Saha duly completed his half-century, his second of the Test and enhanced his reputation of a very useful lower-order batsman that the team can bank upon in any circumstance. It was a memorable Test on his home ground for Saha, who collected his maiden man of the match award for two fighting half-centuries besides excellent glove work.

Barring opener Tom Latham, who dug himself in to score 74 on a tricky pitch, New Zealand were let down by their batsmen yet again in the series. They needed the other opener Martin Guptill to come good if he had to retain his place in the side. He seemed to be on his way to a sizeable score when the Kiwis raised their first fifty partnership in seven innings.
However, once the New Zealanders resumed their runchase at 55/0 post lunch, they lost wickets at regular intervals beginning with Guptill being trapped in front by Ashwin.

Latham was living dangerously, sweeping repeatedly, missing more than he connected, and surviving loud shouts for LBW. Ashwin created doubts in the batsmen’s minds, varying his line constantly and also changing ends.

Ashwin provided the early breakthroughs including sending back their most experienced batsman in Ross Taylor and it was left to Jadeja and Shami to complete the formalities and give their team an extra day off.

N ZONE

13
No. of consecutive matches India have gone without losing at home since December 13, 2012

9
No. of Tests India have won out of 16 Tests played under Virat Kohli's captaincy (lost: 2, drawn: 5)

26
No. of wickets taken by pacers in the match, the second highest in a Test match at the Eden Gardens

15
No. of LBWs in this Test, the most in a Test in India. The previous highest was 13 (against SA in 1996)

Dhawan ruled out of third Test

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the third Test against Indore starting on October 8. He suffered a minor fracture on his hand after being hit repeatedly on his left thumb while batting in the second innings on Sunday. He has been kept under observation and has been advised 15 days' rest. Karntaka batsman Karun Nair has been named as his replacement, though Gautam Gambhir is expected to play in the final Test.