Off-spinner R Ashwin impressed with a six-wicket haul as India imposed the follow-on on New Zealand after ending the visitors' first innings at 159 at the stroke of lunch on the third day of the opening cricket Test in Hyderabad on Saturday. With more than two days left in the match, the visitors still require 279 runs to avoid an innings defeat. The Indian spin duo of Ashwin and left-armer Pragyan Ojha shared nine wickets between them to rattle the inexperienced New Zealand line-up which could not stand up to the challenge.
India had put on 438 in their first innings with a career-best 159 by Cheteshwar Pujara. Ashwin returned with brilliant figures of 16.3-3-31-6 to better his previous career-best of 6/47 (vs West Indies in his debut Test in Delhi, November 2011). This was also his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Ojha was also brilliant giving Ashwin perfect support with 3/44 from 21 overs that also included six maidens. James Franklin was the only visiting batsman to put up some resistance as he remained unbeaten on 43 (122 balls; 1x4,1x6).
Umesh Yadav gave India the first breakthrough in the second over of the morning when the pacer broke the overnight
stand between Franklin and Kruger van Wyk after trapping the latter in front of the wicket for a nought.
The spinners then wrecked havoc as the inexperienced visitors found it very tough to negotiate the bounce and turn.
PTI
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