To the handful of spectators at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, Joe Carter may have looked like someone desperately trying to get out on the cusp of a maiden double hundred. He succeeded in his second attempt — in as many balls — as he stepped out against Kuldeep Yadav, and got stumped by K.S. Bharat.
He was on 197 then. The New Zealand-A batter later revealed that the team had been looking to declare before tea.
Superb knock
Thanks almost exclusively to his superb knock (197, 305b, 474min, 26x4, 3x6), the visitors made 400 in their first innings on the second day of the first ‘Test’. The next highest score in the innings was 32, by Sean Solia, the other overnight batter. The duo added 87 for the sixth wicket, as they resumed at 156 for five.
India-A ended the second day at 156 for one. Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran was looking in ominous touch, unbeaten on 87 (120b, 10x4, 1x6).
Earlier, Carter, who was cautious in his approach on the rain-affected first day, looked more aggressive on the second. While the other batters failed to get going against a fine India-A attack, spearheaded by seamer Mukesh Kumar (five for 86), he seemed at home. He grew in confidence and played some lovely strokes, like a glorious straight six off Kuldeep.
Carter had survived a confident shout for stumping against Kuldeep before he stepped out as he tried to accelerate, with not many wickets at hand. After coming in at one down, he was the ninth man to go.
After the New Zealand innings folded, and early tea was taken, captain Priyank Panchal (47, 83b, 4x4) and Abhimanyu Easwaran gave India-A a rousing start adding 123 for the first wicket, before the former fell to the tight left-arm spin bowling of Rachin Ravindra.
The scores:
New Zealand-A — 1st innings: Chad Bowes c Ruturaj b Mukesh 5, Rachin Ravindra c Patidar b Nagwaswalla 12, Joe Carter st. Bharat b Kuldeep 197, Mark Chapman c Abhimanyu b Dayal 15, Robert O’Donnell lbw b Mukesh 24, Cam Fletcher lbw b Mukesh 13, Sean Solia c Patidar b Mukesh 32, Michael Rippon b Sarfaraz 21, Logan van Beek c Bharat b Mukesh 19, Joe Walker c Abhimanyu b Sarfaraz 22, Jacob Duffy (not out) 17; Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb-16, w-3): 23; Total (in 110.5 overs): 400.
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-28, 3-51, 4-100, 5-149, 6-236, 7-307, 8-342, 9-361.
India-A bowling: Mukesh 23-5-86-5, Dayal 21-3-75-1, Nagwaswalla 23-4-75-1, Kuldeep 34-6-119-1, Tilak 4-0-9-0, Sarfaraz 5.5-0-32-2.
India-A — 1st innings: Priyank Panchal c O’Donnell b Ravindra 47, Abhimanyu Easwaran (batting) 87, Ruturaj Gaikwad (batting) 20; Extras (lb-1, w-1): 2; Total (for one wkt. in 37 overs): 156.
Fall of wicket: 1-123.
New Zealand-A bowling: Duffy 7-0-33-0, van Beek 6-1-34-0, Solia 5-0-21-0, Ravindra 10-1-22-1, Rippon 6-1-22-0, Walker 3-0-23-0.
