India lead passes 300-run mark at lunch on Day Four

Riding on brilliant batting of Murali Vijay (76) and Cheteshwar Pujara (78) India extended their overall lead to 308 runs in the first session of the penultimate day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Green Park here on Sunday.

Batsmen Ajinkya Rahane (21) and Rohit Sharma (12) were at the crease when umpires called for the break.

Murali Vijay (76), Cheteshwar Pujara (78) and skipper Virat Kohli(18) were the Indian batsmen to fall in the opening session.

Resuming the day at 159 for one, overnight batsmen Vijay and Pujara could manage to add only 26 runs to the score as Vijay was trapped lbw by spinner Mitchell Santner in the 57th over.

The left-arm spinner had set Vijay up with a big turning delivery, which he followed up with a slider that surprised Vijay, hitting him on his front pad on the off-stump line.

Incoming batsman Kohli, who was struggling from the beginning was also sent back to the pavilion by Mark Craig in the 68th over. Both Pujara and Kohli together put on only 29 runs for the third wicket.

Three overs later, Pujara too was sent back to the pavilion when spinner Ish Sodhi pitched the ball outside the leg-stump line and made it spin across to get an outside edge off Pujara's bat.

After the wicket, Rahane and Rohit played intelligently, not taking any chances against the spinners and stabilised the Indian innings.

For New Zealand, Sodhi scalped two wickets while Santner and Craig took one wicket respectively.

Brief score:

India 318 and 252 for 4 (Rahane 21(not out), Rohit 12 (not out), Sodhi 2-67) against New Zealand, lead by 308 runs.

--IANS

gau/vt