India close in on big win in historic 500th Test

September 25, 2016 03:16 pm | Updated November 09, 2021 02:03 am IST - Kanpur

The hosts set a target of 434 runs for New Zealand to win the match

Rohit Sharma made an aggressive 68 in the second innings.

Rohit Sharma made an aggressive 68 in the second innings.

India has positioned itself for a massive win in its 500th Test by polishing off the New Zealand top-order after setting them a colossal 434-run target.

New Zealand is tottering at 93 for four in its second innings with the exuberant Luke Ronchi (38) and the steady Mitchell Santner (8) at the crease when stumps were drawn on the fourth day. They still need 341 runs to win the match.

Earlier, negotiating a spin-friendly track with aplomb, Rohit (68) and Jadeja (50) raised a 100-run stand in quick time after India lost four wickets, starting the day at 159 for one.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner dismissed two batsmen while Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig claimed a wicket apiece but only to see the next Indian pair hammer them around the park as India declared their second innings at 377 for five at the stroke of tea.

Rohit and Jadeja never looked uncomfortable on the deteriorating fourth-day Green Park track, entertaining the Sunday crowd with some quality strokes, including three sixes by the left-hander.

Ashwin gets his 200th wicket

However, when Indian spinners bowled, New Zealand batsmen were were all at sea on the pitch as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin removed both the openers — Martin Guptill (0) and Tom Latham (2) — in the space of five balls to cause ripples in the rival camp. In the process, he got to his 200th Test wicket. He is only the ninth Indian to get that figure and the fastest among all, doing it in his 37th match.

Ashwin is the second fastest in the world behind Australian Clarrie Grimmett (36 matches).

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