IND vs NZ 1st Test: Kiwis feel Axar effect on Day 3

Axar Patel celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Tom Blundell at Kanpur on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Axar Patel continued his golden run in favourable home conditions, grabbing another five-wicket haul to put India in the driver's seat after New Zealand were bowled out for 296 despite an opening stand of 151 on the third day of the first Test here on Saturday.

The left-arm spinner had a couple of dream sessions when he finally found the ideal pace and turn off the surface to completely derail New Zealand's steady first innings. His final figures read 34-6-62-5 as India got a crucial 49-run first innings lead, which increased to 63 at stumps.

Ashwin shines

Ravichandran Ashwin was also on the money as he bowled 42.3 overs to finish on 3-82, inching closer to becoming the third highest Indian wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Gujarat man Axar has been terrific since he donned the India whites at the start of the year and now has as many as 32 wickets in just his fourth match. The five-for was his fifth having already got four in the three Tests against England.

However, he will cherish this one a bit more considering that the track was not as diabolical as the ones in the England series (second Test in Chennai and the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad). "Whenever I have played first-class or [for] India ‘A', I have done well. I have never seen myself as a white-ball specialist," Patel made it clear that he doesn't like being bracketed.

‘It's all in the mind'

For the left-arm orthodox from Gujarat, it's all in the mind. "It's all in mind-set as to what you perceive yourself as - a white-ball specialist or red-ball specialist. I always had the belief that whenever I get a chance I will do well."

But does he feel extra pressure that two world class spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja are also in the same XI? "Whenever I go to the ground, I try to enjoy and not think about whether Ashwin bhai and Jaddu are there," he made his thought-process clear.

At stumps, the hosts were 14-1 after losing Shubman Gill (1) for the second time to Kyle Jamieson, who again found a gaping hole between his bat and pad.

32
No. of wickets claimed by Axar Patel in four Test matches is the second-most by an Indian bowler after Narendra Hirwani (36)

Brief scores
India 345 & 14-1 (C Pujara 9'; K Jamieson 1-8) v NZ 296 (T Latham 95, W Young 89; A Patel 5-62, R Ashwin 3-82)

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