India vs New Zealand: Smarting Indians show some fight...

Bengaluru: There is less of "Ra" and more of "Chin"! This was Rahul Dravid's quip when a journalist had asked the former India coach if he knew Rachin is a portmanteau of Rahul and Sachin (Tendulkar).

This was during last year's 50-over World Cup and Rachin Ravindra had taken the event by storm with three tons by then. Dravid was obviously referring to the aggressive streak in the New Zealand batter that compared better with Tendulkar's style than Dravid's.

On Friday, the southpaw displayed Dravid's composure in abundance before stepping on the gas to crack a ton that, along with Tim Southee's industry, put New Zealand in control of the first Test despite India's impressive fightback with the bat in their second innings.

With the play seeing no interruption from rain for the first time in three days, New Zealand, overnight 180/3, consolidated their innings further after a couple of hiccups early in the first session of third day's play here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday when the pitch played its best.

Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah plucked a wicket each while Ravindra Jadeja dismissed two as New Zealand slipped to 233/7. Though the lead had swelled to 187 by then, restricting the tourists to a 200-run lead would have given India a better chance to battle their way back into the Test.

Rachin (134, 157b, 11x4, 4x6) and Southee (65, 73b, 5x4, 4x6), however, quelled those hopes with a counter-attacking 137-run stand off just 132 balls, the fastest 100-run partnership against India. New Zealand eventually folded for 410 all out, giving themselves a cushion of massive 364 runs. Though India came up with a far improved batting show to finish the day at 231/3, they are still in arrears of 125 runs.

A well-set Virat Kohli's dismissal off the last ball of the day was a bitter pill to swallow. The wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma (52) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) were no less disappointing. While Jaiswal got stumped after charging down to Ajaz Patel, Rohit saw the ball roll on to hit the base of the stumps after the batter had defended it.

Kohli (70, 102b, 11x4, 1x6) and Sarfaraz Khan (70, 78b, 7x4, 3x6) launched a spectacular counter-attack, raising 136 runs in 163 balls as a nearly 20,000 crowd lapped it up every moment of that entertaining phase. Where Sarfaraz was unorthodox but impactful nevertheless, Kohli pulled out some of his classic strokes that had been resting in his quiver. Had he survived the last ball of the day, India would have walked out with more confidence. Instead it was the Kiwis who returned to the pavilion with spring in their steps.  

Earlier, Rachin had to bide time as his partners kept deserting him before Southee's assuredness gave him a leg-up. The youngster's enterprise met its match in veteran's experience as the duo left Rohit scratching his head. While Rachin cut loose after reaching his fifty, Southee hurt India while manufacturing one big hit after another. 

It was one of those strange days when the spinners got the ball to turn, seamers stayed effective as long as they remained disciplined and a whopping 453 runs were scored in 92.3 overs.