India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Batsmen repeat errors as India slip down

Christchurch, March 1: India's second innings of this second Test against New Zealand on Sunday (March 1) was actually their first innings stored in loop and played all over again. Batsmen repeated their mistakes of the first dig with such perfectness, making it tough to imagine this squad was on a winning streak from mid 2019, let alone the No 1 Test side in the world.

There was no desire on show and it reflected amply in their end of the day score of 90/6, for a slender lead of 97. India will pin hopes on their three remaining batsmen - Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant - to given them a lead on which their bowlers can build another rear-guard action, similar to the one they dished out to skittle New Zealand for 235.

But there was no matching effort from the batsmen. Two batsmen were undone by bouncers. Prithvi Shaw caught unaware by a climbing ball by Tim Southee and all he could do was to jab it to Tom Latham at slips. It was direct and brutal, cramping Shaw for room with a short ball.

Ajinkya Rahane did not get out to a short ball but the rising deliveries with which the Kiwis bowlers peppered him played a key role in his dismissal. Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson unsettled him with a series of short balls, cramping his scoring channels. It reflected in his 43-ball 9. He looked like a batsman who never faced hostile short-pitched bowling.

India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 2: Kohli & co waste Shami-Bumrah's brilliant show, stare at another defeat

But in fact, Rahane is one of the batsmen in this line-up better equipped to face short-pitched bowling. The desperation was visible in his mode of dismissal too. He moved across off-stump and tried to guide Wagner to square leg but the ball only rattled the stumps. Rahane would not certainly want to see that dismissal again!

The two other senior batsmen in the side Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara too get out to their respective old failings. Kohli planted his foot across the stumps and with his head falling over could not negotiate the fullish delivery from Colin de Grandhomme, and this time Kohli refrained from taking DRS.

Pujara too was sprayed with short balls by the Kiwis bowlers with fielders placed at short leg and short square leg and couple of times his fends nearly landed in the hands of them. But it was a part of a ruse. Trent Boult came around the wicket and darted one into Pujara that swung into the batsmen with the angle to crash on to the off-stump. It was a lovely delivery to end a resolute innings.

India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test: Jadeja takes stunner to dismiss Wagner, but didn't expect ball to come at that pace

So, is there still a way out for India? "We are not looking at a number. We have two batsmen at the crease and want them to push as hard as they can. Look to play deep and look to score runs. We don't have a fixed number that this is enough but we want them to push as far as they can. We have got Jaddu next as well and lower down the order, we want to get as much as we can," said Jasprit Bumrah.

"This is Test cricket and you won't get instant results. You have to work hard and keep putting in effort," he added.

The remaining three batsmen and then the bowlers will have to do that if India are to get out of this marshy place.