India 201-5 at lunch on day 2, 2nd test vs. NZ
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Opener Shikhar Dhawan was out for 98 as India reached 201-5 to take a nine-run first innings lead at lunch Saturday on the second day of the second cricket test against New Zealand.
Dhawan was approaching his second century in consecutive test innings when he edged a ball from Tim Southee to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, whose two catches on the second morning carried him past 50 dismissals in tests.
Watling also dismissed nightwatchman Ishant Sharma, who made 26 in a 52-run third-wicket partnership with Dhawan.
Virat Kohli was 27 not out and Ajinkya Rahane was 22 at lunch.
New Zealand was sent in to bat first on Friday and India's pacemen exploited the available seam to bowl out the hosts for 192. Sharma took a career-best 6-51 — his second five-wicket bag of the series — as New Zealand was bowled out in 52.5 overs. India then reached 100-2 in reply by stumps.
Dhawan made 115 in the second innings of the first test at Auckland, which New Zealand won by 40 runs to lead the two-test series 1-0. It was his second century in six tests, following his 187 in his debut against Australia last March.
On Friday, he helped India resist New Zealand's new ball pair of Trent Boult and Southee in the 28 overs bowled before stumps. Boult had taken 26 wickets in three tests against the West Indies and in the first test against India, and Southee had captured 24, but they weren't able to replicate their earlier form on a pitch that had been baked by the sun and lost some of its menace.
Each took a wicket on Friday — Southee removed Murali Vijay (2) and Boult dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara (19) — but Dhawan's resilience put India in a strong position at stumps.
India started off strong again on Saturday with Sharma scoring 26 from 53 balls with three fours.
But his dismissal triggered a minor collapse which brought New Zealand back into the match. Watling caught Sharma off Boult's bowling for his 50th test dismissal — all catches — then held the catch that removed Dhawan two runs short of his century.
The Indian opener had batted for just over three hours and hit 14 fours and a six when he made the first mistake of his innings and edged the catch to Watling.
