New Zealand claim early honour with three quick wickets. Source : Xtra Time[/caption]Kolkata : Eden Gardens early morning blues hit India hard as they got off to a jittery start losing three of their top batsmen including skipper Virat Kohli in the first session of day one's play of the second Test against New Zealand today.
24-year-old Mattt Henry who replaced Ish Sodhi in their line-up of three pacers rocked the India top order with his twin blows of Shikhar Dhawan (1) and Murali Vijay (9) in the first 50 minutes in his brilliant first spell of 6-2-14-2 as the Kiwis seamers utilised the grassy condition to full effect after Kohli opted to bat.
Just when it seemed Kohli (9) was steadying the ship with a set Cheteshwar Pujara the Trent Boult dismissed the skipper who continued his string of low scores as India were 57 for three at lunch on day one.
The skipper got carried away after an exquisite cover drive that was cheered by the small turnout and went for an IPL-like shot chasing a ball way outside the offstump to be caught brilliantly by Tom Latham who took a rising catch.
The dismissal less than half an before the lunch break pegged back India's recovery plan as at the break Pujara was unbeaten on 31 and looked defiant with Ajinkya Rahane on two.
Earlier it was the tale of one comeback man cutting short another's when Henry cut short Dhawan's stay in just 10 balls in the second over of the day.
In the second ball of his first over, Henry, who last played in February against Australia at Christchurch, bowled Dhawan who tried to cut in a high bounce angled delivery only to drag the ball back to his stumps.
At the other end, Pujara was watchful and yet to open his account but it did not bother him even as the bounce was variable and seaming in the first hour's play.
Pujara got off the mark with two elegant boundaries on both the sides of the wicket with the Murali Vijay who looked in fine form before becoming the victim of a beauty from Henry.
Playing only in his fifth Test, Henry after repeatedly beating the outside edge bowled one straight and full delivery as Vijay had no option to go for it as it took a faint edge down to BJ Watling behind the stumps.
Henry finished his brilliant spell with 2/14 and spin was introduced in the 14th over with left arm orthodox Mitchell Santner.
36-year-old offspinner Jeetan Patel, who is also making a comeback after more than three years as a replacement for injured Mark Craig, got promising turn from the High Court end, especially one that foxed Pujara.
Kohli stuck to his four-bowling strategy but brought in seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place Umesh Yadav while Dhawan replaced the injured Lokesh Rahul in two changes to India XI.
The Black Caps however were hit hard by their skipper Kane Williamson's illness as the Test number 2 batsman could not recover from the 'bug' in time as Ross Taylor stood in as captain.
Henry Nicholls replaced Williamson, while Henry and Patel came in for Ish Sodhhi and Mark Craig in the three changes to their XI from Kanpur Test which they lost by 197 runs to trail the three-match series 0-1.
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