By Shrivathsa Sridhar
BENGALURU (Reuters) -Rachin Ravindra hit a game-changing century as New Zealand posted 402 for a substantial first-innings lead of 356 over India, who responded by making 57 for no loss at tea on day three of their rain-affected opening test on Friday.
Resuming on 180-3 at a sun-drenched M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the tourists rode Ravindra’s 134 and Tim Southee’s 65 to turn the screws on the hosts, who are looking to avoid their first home defeat against New Zealand since 1988.
India were trailing by 299 runs at the break, with Yashasvi Jaiswal batting on 29 and Rohit Sharma on 27 not out.
Ravindra, who was born in Wellington but has family hailing from the south Indian city of Bengaluru, reached his second test ton earlier with a swept boundary off Ravichandran Ashwin to draw huge cheers from an adoring home crowd.
The all-rounder smashed 13 fours and four sixes, and forged a 137-run partnership with Tim Southee, as the pair heaped more misery on India.
The hosts had been bowled out for a paltry 46 in the first innings, their worst total on home soil, as New Zealand’s fast bowlers dazzled on a gloomy Thursday morning after the opening day was washed out without a ball being bowled.
Daryl Mitchell departed for 18 on Friday morning, finding Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully with a careless shot against Mohammed Siraj, while Jasprit Bumrah had Tom Blundell (5) caught at slip by KL Rahul as sustained pressure by the two pacers paid off.
The duo beat the bat on numerous occasions in the opening hour but it was the introduction of spin that troubled the Black Caps, Ravindra Jadeja shattering the stumps of Glenn Phillips (14) to leave them on 223-6.
Matt Henry (8) perished in a similar manner after smashing a couple of boundaries as Jadeja claimed his third wicket, but New Zealand steadily clawed their way back from 233-7.
Southee eventually fell to Siraj shortly after lunch, but the former captain had already done plenty of damage with five fours and four sixes in his defiant knock before the innings came to an end when Kuldeep Yadav struck twice.
After trapping Ajaz Patel lbw, the leg-spinner conceded a six to Ravindra that took New Zealand past 400 runs, before he had the left-handed batsman caught as he attempted another.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
