Ajinkya Rahane struck his third Test fifty to help India reach 301 for six at tea on day two of the second and final match against New Zealand here today.
At the Basin Reserve, Rahane was batting on 64 off 108 balls at the break, and his two 50-run partnerships with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (39 batting off 57 balls) and Virat Kohli (38) helped India take a 109-run first innings lead.
India added exactly 100 runs from 28 overs bowled in the post-lunch session with the loss of one wicket.
Kohli and Rahane had begun the post-lunch session at 201/5, looking to bat for time and get a substantial lead for the team. They batted with confidence and picked their areas to score. While the former looked to attack, the latter played a solid game, and neither bothered about the run-rate.
The duo brought up their 50-run partnership in the 62nd over and yet did not change gears, looking set for a longer innings together. But then, against the run of play, Neil Wagner got Kohli driving and caught at short cover, much to the dismay of the batsman. Kohli was out for 38 runs off 93 balls.
Dhoni's entry to the crease was an important passage of play for India thereafter, because any more wickets would have meant the tail being exposed to the new ball. He played an attacking game first up and then settled down to build a partnership with Rahane.
Rahane brought up his half-century off 93 balls with seven fours, and his 50-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the 78th over.
The new ball was taken in the 81st over, immediately after it became due, but the two set batsmen continued to deny New Zealand, bringing up the 300 for India at the stroke of tea.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult have so far got two wickets apiece while James Neesham (1/17) had picked up his sole wicket in the morning. Corey Anderson (0/29) and Neil Wagner (0/46) went wicket-less.
