NEW ZEALANDcaptain Ross Taylor kept his promise of attacking the Indian spinners and smashed an unbeaten century to guide the visitors to 240 for five at tea on the first day of the second and final Test on Friday (August 31).
Taylor, unbeaten on 112 with 16 fours and two sixes, and Kruger van Wyk (seven) were at the crease for New Zealand when tea was taken.
The 28-year-old right-hander had promised a positive approach after New Zealand lost 18 wickets to the Indian spinners in the first Test in Hyderabad, which the hosts won by an innings and 115 runs to go 1-0 up in the two-Test series.
Taylorattacked the bowlers from the onset and played a few risky shots to complete his seventh Test century, and his third against India, off just 99 balls.
He slog-swept the spinners effectively, played the cut shot fiercely and added 107 runs with Daniel Flynn (33) for the fourth wicket at a breathtaking scoring rate.
Taylor and Flynn added 72 runs off the first 10 overs after lunch before Flynn fell leg before to Ravichandran Ashwin while attempting the sweep shot.
Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha kept India in the hunt by picking up his third wicket when all-rounder James Franklin (eight) tamely scooped a full toss to Suresh Raina at midwicket.
The visitors had lost three wickets before lunch after Taylor won the toss and opted to bat first.
Indiacaptain Mahendra Singh Dhoni handed the new ball to Ojha to capitalise on New Zealand’s spin frailty but it was paceman Zaheer Khan who struck the first blow in the second over of the morning.
Opener Brendon McCullum was the first to fall for a duck when Zaheer caught him plumb in front of the stumps in his first over.
Martin Guptill (53), dropped on 17 by Virat Kohli in the slips off Zaheer, went on the attack and made a quickfire 53, helped by eight boundaries.
The right-hander mistimed a drive against Ojha to be caught at mid-wicket by Gautam Gambhir.
Ojha then dismissed Kane Williamson (17) leg before for his second wicket.
