Led by the spinners from the front, India bundled out New Zealand for 164 in the second innings to win the first test match at Hyderabad by an innings and 115 runs.
A report in The Hindu says that R Ashwin returned with a match haul of 12 for 85 – the best by an Indian against New Zealand in Tests and was suitably supported by Pragyan Ojha who scalped six wickets in the match to win the match comprehensively.
It was indeed a spectacular victory for India but then lack of character by the Kiwis batsmen was shocking. Only Brendan McCullum (42) and Kane Williamson (52) could offer some resistance.
The report further says that a faulty decision that saw McCullum getting dismissed actually opened the flood gates.
McCullum edged an incoming delivery from paceman Umesh Yadav to his pad but saw umpire Steve Davis’ finger go up. A visibly upset McCullum departed and the Kiwis subsequently crumbled.
The Hindustan Times report writes that the crowd in the stadium were sent into a tizzy after the news of the India under-19 triumph was flashed on the big screen. It perhaps charged up the Indians as because after that they started dismissing Kiwi batsmen at will and before that they had bowled one whole hour without any success.
India took five wickets between lunch and tea which almost sealed the affair.
A report in the Deccan Herald says that New Zealand needing another 238 runs to make India bat again after following on, all that New Zealand -- overnight 41/1 -- could manage was 164 all out, just five more runs than the first innings.
R Ashwin was the game-changer with another six-wicket haul. The off-spinner, who had claimed 6/31 in the first innings, produced figures of 6/54 in the second for his best returns in a match, eclipsing his previous highest of nine wickets against the West Indies last year. The man of the match was well-supported by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha who had a match haul of 6/142.
As much as India need to be appreciated for their stellar performance ,the Kiwis showed distinct lack of fight. There were some passages when they looked like putting up some resistance, but there was nothing more to it. The wicket did aid the spinners, but it wasn’t certainly as bad as the Kiwi batsmen made it out to be.