Bad weather played spoilsport in the post-lunch session after New Zealand reached 41 for one at tea in their second innings, forced to follow on by India in the opening cricket Test here on Saturday.
With thick dark clouds hovering over the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, the match was stopped 74 minutes after lunch as the groundsmen put the covers on.
Minutes later, heavy rains started pouring in with the ground resembling a pool, leaving little hope for a resumption of play on day three.
Brendon McCullum was unbeaten on 16 (59 balls, 1x4) while Kane Williamson was giving the Kiwi opener company batting on three (11 balls) when the match had to be stopped as the tea was taken early due to rain.
In reply to India's first innings total of 438, New Zealand were bundled out for 159 with 279 runs in arrears after off-spinner R. Ashwin took a career-best 6/31.
India enforced the follow on at lunch as New Zealand put up a defensive display in their second essay scoring at snail's pace.
The opening duo of Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum scored nine runs from the first 10 overs with Indian new ball bowlers -- Pragyan Ojha and Zaheer Khan -- sending down two maiden each.
The first four of the New Zealand innings came in the second ball of the 12th over when Guptill punished an Umesh Yadav delivery drifted down the leg.
In the next over, Guptill looked to break free, hitting Ojha for two consecutive boundaries before getting a reprieve on 15.
The Kiwi opener was dropped at the second slip by Kohli, who dived to his left but could not put his hand behind the ball.
But Guptill could not gain much from the life as Ojha dismissed the Kiwi opener in his next over with trapping the batsman in front of the wicket to break the 26-run opening partnership.
PTI
 |
                                                                                           |
 |