Ton-up Taylor boosts New Zealand in India Test
Ross Taylor cracked a brisk century to help New Zealand reach 240-5 at tea on the opening day of the second and final Test against India in Bangalore on Friday.
The skipper hit two sixes and 16 fours in a 119-ball 112 not out for his seventh Test hundred as New Zealand added 132 runs to their lunch total of 108-3. Kruger van Wyk was unbeaten on seven at the break.
New Zealand were under pressure at 89-3 following left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s double-strike in the morning, but Taylor propped up the innings with a 107-run stand for the fourth wicket with Daniel Flynn (33).
Taylor counter-attacked to neutralise the efficacy of the Indian spinners, slog-sweeping Ravichandran Ashwin over square-leg for the first six of the match and then smashing four boundaries in an over from Ojha.
The New Zealand captain, who reached his half-century off just 46 balls, did not even spare left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan as he drove the bowler through the covers and then straight for two successive fours.
Taylor completed his hundred in style, cutting Ojha for a four and then lofting the spinner over long-off in the same over for his second six. His century came off just 99 balls.
New Zealand lost two wickets in the afternoon as Flynn fell lbw while attempting to sweep off-spinner Ashwin and James Franklin (eight) was superbly caught by Suresh Raina at mid-wicket off Ojha.
Ojha earlier removed Kane Williamson (17) and well-set opener Martin Guptill (53) to put pressure on New Zealand, but Taylor dominated the Indian attack with an exciting strokeplay in the afternoon.
New Zealand lost opener Brendon McCullum for no score in the second over after electing to bat before Guptill and Williamson steadied the innings with a 63-run stand for the second wicket.
But Ojha dismissed both the batsmen, trapping Williamson leg-before and then having Guptill caught by Gautam Gambhir at mid-wicket.
Guptill, dropped on 17, hit eight fours in his 12th Test half-century in 26 matches.
India opened the attack in overcast conditions with Ojha, but struck through Zaheer who trapped McCullum leg-before with his fifth delivery.
The hosts had a chance to put more pressure on New Zealand, but Virat Kohli dropped Guptill at third slip off Zaheer.
Guptill played some attractive shots during his 79-ball knock, hitting seamer Umesh Yadav for three fours in an over and then reaching his half-century with a boundary in the bowler’s next over.
India retained the side that won the opening Test by an innings and 115 runs, while New Zealand brought in fast bowler Tim Southee in place of Chris Martin.
