India vs New Zealand, WTC Final, day five as it happened: Kohli, Pujara guide India to 32-run lead

IND 64/2 after 30 overs: And that is close of play. India lead by 32 runs with one day remaining in the game. Kohli (8) and Pujara (12) in the middle for India. Southee (2/17) the star for NZ in the second innings. 212 runs, 10 wickets, 80.2 overs on Day 5. Something for everyone.

IND 51/2 after 26.5 overs: WICKET!!! Rohit Sharma falls to the inswinger. Padding up. No shot offered. No review taken. He spoke to Pujara about it and decided against it. Southee strikes again — outswinger, outswinger, inswinger, gone. Fine innings of 30 from 81 balls.

IND 51/1 after 26 overs: No alarms for Pujara and Rohit here. Another four runs added to the total and every run does count.

IND 47/1 after 25 overs: Another good over by Jamieson, who continues to impress. He draw Rohit into a shot but the India opener was lucky to miss the ball.

IND 45/1 after 24 overs: India are 13 runs ahead but not out of danger yet and that, to an extent, explains why they have been this cautious.

IND 42/1 after 23 overs: Rohit Sharma fighting the urge to hit the big shots. He is really is trying hard to be patient. This isn’t how he likes batting but this is what the team needs. He has 25 off 66 balls.

IND 41/1 after 22 overs: Slow phase but India want to make sure they don’t lose another wicket here. We are into the final hour and just a few more overs left in the day.

Wagner into the attack now. Short balls and a little more might be the order of the day.

IND 39/1 after 20 overs: A bit too full from Boult and Pujara with a lovely on-drive down the ground for four. Boult, like Bumrah, just hasn’t got it right in this match. India lead by 7 runs now.

IND 35/1 after 17 overs: India are in the lead now. Slow progress but steady progress. The team won’t mind this at all.

IND 32/1 after 15 overs: Maiden over by Jamieson and time for a drink’s break.

IND 32/1 after 14 overs: The lead has been erased. Scores are level. Pujara clipping a ball from Boult for three on the leg-side.

IND 28/1 after 13 overs: NZ aren’t giving away any easy runs. India want to be cautious. Slow, steady and a very interesting phase of the game. India still trail by 4 runs.

IND 24/1 after 10.4 overs: WICKET! Gill trapped LBW by Southee’s inswinger. No need for a review. Not quite sure which way the ball was going. India still trail by 8 runs.

IND 24/0 after 10 overs: Very steady start by the Indian openers again. Exactly what India wanted. Rohit and Gill have been very much in control.

Jamieson into the attack.

IND 21/0 after 9 overs: Runs, six of them in the Southee over. India trail by 11 runs now. Batting seems to be much easier at this point. The batsmen are looking confident.

IND 15/0 after 8 overs: Another four off Boult. He just hasn’t got it right in the Test. Just seems out of sorts.

IND 11/0 after 7 overs: Southee with another maiden over. 4 overs, 4 runs from him so far.

IND 11/0 after 6 overs: Boult trying a few things in the over. Went round the wicket after four deliveries but erred with his line on the last ball and Rohit helped himself to a four in the cover-point region. India trail by 21 runs.

IND 7/0 after 5 overs: Steady stuff from Southee. He is getting the ball to move away from the right-handers but Williamson must be getting tempted to throw the ball to Jamieson, who was so impressive in the first innings.

IND 6/0 after 4 overs: Two runs off the Boult over. The ball is moving around and batting isn’t easy but the sun is out too and these are probably the best batting conditions we have had all match.

IND 4/0 after 3 overs: Maiden over by Southee.

IND 4/0 after 2 overs: Steady start by Boult, a bit too wide but he will find his line soon enough.

IND 3/0 after 1 over: Southee getting the new to move away sharply from the batsmen. Important for India to just play as they would normally play the new ball without worrying about the lead or the result or anything else.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill walking out for the second innings. How many wickets are those 32 runs worth to NZ?

Time for a tea break. What will India’s approach be when they come out to bat?

NZ 249 all out after 99.2 overs: One ball after getting smacked for a six, Jadeja gets Southee. New Zealand lead by 32 runs. 32 vital runs. How many wickets will these runs be worth?

NZ 243/9 after 99 overs: The lead continues to grow. India continue to try to get the final wicket.

NZ 242/9 after 98 overs: New Zealand lead by 25 runs. Boult moving away from his stumps but when Shami pitched it up, he was driven over his head for four runs. Vital runs.

NZ 236/9 after 97 overs: It could have been all out but Southee got his review right. The umpire thought he had edged the ball to leg-slip but the replays showed it came off the pads. New Zealand lead by 19 runs.

NZ 234/9 after 96.3 overs: WICKET! Ashwin gets another wicket. Wagner edged it to Rahane, who caught it on the rebound. The Kiwi batsman made a duck.

NZ 234/8 after 96 overs: The batting actually seems to be much easier now or is that the bowlers are tired? But India have managed to get most of the NZ top order back.

NZ 226/8 after 95 overs: With Williamson gone, expect Southee and Wagner to use the long handle or at least try to use it a lot more.

NZ 221/8 after 94 overs: WICKET! Ishant Sharma strikes to end Williamson’s vigil. The NZ skipper falls one short of his fifty. Caught by Kohli in a widish second slip. An innings of quiet magnificence by Williamson. 49 runs. 177 balls. 6 fours.

NZ 220/7 after 93 overs: Shami tiring and Williamson smashes a four off the last ball to give NZ the lead. NZ lead by 3 runs now.

NZ 213/7 after 92 overs: Williamson looking very comfortable in the middle now and if the tail can wag, India might be put under a lot of pressure on Day 6.

NZ 211/7 after 91 overs: New Zealand trail by 6 runs. The runs are coming through edges and leg byes too. Nothing left in this now. The second innings is going to be very interesting indeed.

NZ 205/7 after 90 overs: Good phase of play for NZ. The runs have come and India will be feeling the pressure a little now.

NZ 202/7 after 89 overs: NZ go past 200. The runs just seem to be coming that little bit easier now. The Kiwis trail by just 15 runs. Can they get a sizeable lead? Can they get a lead around 50? Williamson still there in the middle.

NZ 194/7 after 88 overs: Southee joins Williamson in the middle and he can hit a few big shots too. New Zealand trail by 23 runs now.

NZ 192/7 after 87 overs: SIX and OUT! Jamieson (21 off 16) had come out and looked to play the big shots. He smashed the first six of the Test off Shami and then fell to the bouncer, caught in the deep. Should have expected the bouncer but he was in the mood to play some shots. You live by the sword and you die by it too. Shami now has 4/55.

NZ 180/6 after 86 overs: Steady over by Bumrah after the break. Williamson still being very watchful.

NZ 179/6 after 85 overs: Williamson survived a review against an LBW decision. Shami the bowler. The umpire’s call on the line and impact. India retain the review. That was very close.

NZ 175/6 after 84 overs: Jamieson has come in and he is trying to play some shots already. Five shots of two runs each in the Ishant over. Big hoicks too. New Zealand trail by 42 runs now and the sun is out too.

NZ 162/6 after 82.1 overs: WICKET! Shami traps Colin de Grandhomme LBW. One again, a little fuller and it did the trick. He went slightly wider off the crease and angled it in. Superb bowling. Superb thinking. Shami is not waiting for the second innings this time around.

NZ 162/5 after 82 overs: Ishant to share the new ball with Shami and the Kiwis get one run off the over.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Another subtle direction change in the course of this match after lunch. Just imagining how gripping an actual 5-day Test between these two sides would have been and sighing.

NZ 161/5 after 81 overs: Nine runs from the first over with the second new ball. Always a risk that the harder ball will be better off the bat too. NZ trail by 56 runs now.

NZ 152/5 after 80 overs: Just one run from the Jadeja over and the new ball is now due. Shami was warming up will he have Ishant from the other end or will it be Bumrah?

NZ 151/5 after 79 overs: Maiden over by Bumrah. It keeps the pressure on Kiwis.

NZ 151/5 after 78 overs: NZ bat deep and they have shown greater intent to score runs after the break but the new ball is almost due.

NZ 149/5 after 77 overs: Every run is crucial and only serves to add the pressure India will feel in the middle. NZ now trail by 68 runs.

NZ 147/5 after 76 overs: Maiden over by Jadeja. Kept things tight. CdG was on strike and he is looking to score but he doesn’t want to do anything silly.

NZ 147/5 after 75 overs: NZ needed 11 overs to score 12 runs this morning. They have already scored more in this session in a few overs.

NZ 144/5 after 74 overs: Five easy runs from the Jadeja over. On a day when runs have been at such a premium, NZ can use a few more such overs.

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain: “Sometimes Virat does things... I call him the tinker man... he just just does things. But today he did things with a lot of purpose. The changes he made were absolutely spot on.”

NZ 139/5 after 73 overs: Jasprit Bumrah ran in to bowl the first ball after lunch and CdG drove it through the covers for four. He isn’t just going to hang around. Someone needs to score runs for NZ too.

And the players are making their way to the middle. We have a very interesting session awaiting us. Can India take the lead? Can NZ move the scoreboard along?

LUNCH, DAY 5 — New Zealand 135/5 after 72 overs

Picture perfect by Shubman Gill...

Quite the session of Test cricket as it has been when the weather has permitted:

23 overs bowled.
34 runs conceded.
3 wickets fell.
Some stubborn resistance from Williamson.

LUNCH, DAY 5 — New Zealand 135/5 after 72 overs: Bowling changes worked like a dream for Virat Kohli at the end of the session. Ishant came on to bowl, struck with his third delivery. Shami replaced Bumrah and bowled a beaut to send back Watling. Barring the fact that Kane Williamson is out there in the middle, that was a fantastic session for India.

NZ 135/5 after 71 overs: CdG is the new batter in. It’s a maiden wicket by Shami. Worth noting it is another bowling change that has paid off.

WICKET! “There is a collapse in this wicket,” says Nasser Hussain. What a superb delivery by Shami. Nothing unlucky about that length, it’s full, it’s fast, it’s straight. And the stumps are rattled. Watling bowled. That was a pacer’s dream dismissal. Shami does the aeroplane. Rescue-artist Watling is a big wicket for India. NZ 135/5.

WICKET! The Sharmas combine! Ishant’s turn to strike this morning and Nicholls is gone. A classic dismissal to the left-hander. Around the wicket, angling in, straightening. Outside edge is taken by Rohit at second slip as he dived to his left and completed the catch in front of Pujara. Dinesh Karthik was just talking about how Ishant loves that angle. New Zealand 135/4 after 70 overs:

New Zealand 134/3 after 69 overs: A boundary for Kane Williamson! Bumrah goes very full at the NZ captain, it’s flicked away. He has been very patient all morning. Batting on 19 off 104 balls at the moment. Nicholls has looked busier at the crease. Ishant comes back from the other end...

New Zealand 123/2 after 65 overs: Finally, byes conceded by Pant. Four of them. We all jinxed him, didn’t we? Bumrah and Shami keeping the pressure on, but Williamson is also starting to play a few more shots. Nicholls is the new batter in.

Over 63.1: WICKET! BREAKTHROUGH! Shami, easily India’s best bowler in this match, has the wicket his bowling has deserved. And what a catch by Shubman Gill! Shami gets Taylor to drive, the length does the trick. Gill throws himself to his left and completes a terrific diving catch. He is pumped. Kohli is pumped. India are pumped.

Some tea-time reading for you...

New Zealand 117/2 after 62 overs:

DRINKS: A total of 13 overs bowled in roughly 65 mins so far, New Zealand have added 16 runs to their overnight score and the deficit is now 100 runs. It’s all so tight in Southampton.

Ashish Magotra: Sunil Gavaskar, on air, making a point about how the Indian selectors should have considered Bhuvneshwar Kumar for at least the WTC Final if not more. A genuine swing bowler here would have been pure gold.

New Zealand 117/2 after 60 overs: CHANCE! Ishant gets the glove from Taylor with a short ball and it goes agonisingly wide of Pant who dived full length to his left. What a catch that would have been!

New Zealand 112/2 after 59 overs: A total of 10 overs bowled today, 11 runs scored. But crucially, no wickets to fall. Something’s gotta give?

New Zealand 112/2 after 58 overs: Williamson has copped a few awkward blows on his body already today. Not looking at ease by any means. But NZ still in control with India not breaking through.

New Zealand 111/2 after 57 overs: And Shami comes on, makes things happen. Two sensational outswingers to Taylor to start off. The second beats the NZ batsman. Goes full still, driven through cover for four. That’s good for India too.

Bumrah just a bit too short of good length at the moment. Time for Shami...

New Zealand 105/2 after 55 overs: first run off the bat for Williamson today morning. It’s all very tight at the moment in Southampton, neither side giving the other an inch. Kohli was interested in a caught behind appeal down the leg side but not close.

New Zealand 104/2 after 54 overs: Huzzah! A run off the bat. Taylor gets off strike in Bumrah’s over with a quick single.

Aerobics from Pant: A bouncer from Ishant to Williamson, taken superbly by Pant. Like Watling, the Indian keeper is also yet to concede a bye so far in the innings.

New Zealand 103/2 after 53 overs: Bumrah is back with the right attire for the day. And bowls a maiden over. A leg bye in Ishant’s over saw a half-hearted appeal from the Indians. But going down the leg, it looked like. That would also mean a change of ends for the batters.

New Zealand 102/2 after 51 overs: Ishant from the other end and it is a maiden over to start. Ross Taylor tends to fall over, especially early in the innings, so Ishant expectedly going for inswingers early on (his natural delivery too).

New Zealand 102/2 after 50 overs: Bumrah has some kit-change to do after a good first over. Beat Williamson’s bat, got the outside edge too once. But soft as he plays, not even close to carrying to slip.

Jasprit Bumrah has ball in hand. India will have a go at new batsmen but also two of New Zealand’s best. Let’s hope for some excellent cricket.

The players are about to walk into the middle...

UPDATE FROM BCCI:

A total of 91 overs to be bowled 

Session 1: 4-6 pm IST

Session 2: 6.40-8.40pm IST

Session 3: 9-11pm IST

3.27 pm: The rain break has given room for interesting debates. What about Bhuvneshwar Kumar? One can appreciate the Bhuvi red-ball sentiment (he is fantastic) but surely his selection should suddenly not become a talking point because India are not able to swing the ball as much as New Zealand? Man has barely played red-ball cricket. If you have any thoughts, tweet to us @thefield_in.

3.24 pm: You got to admire all the folks who are coming up with stats with optimism to show a result is still possible here.

Aakash Chopra on Star Sports: “You have already added a sixth day as reserve day. Not suggesting a timeless Test but why not just play the quota of 450 overs even if it goes a little into the 7th day?”

3.06 pm: One of the worst parts of having such little play is that we have been deprived of some high quality cricket, of course. But also that high quality broadcasting has been cut out.

Some things to consider for ICC: If the drizzle is not strong enough to stop play, surely it should be ok enough to start play? And walking off for bad light at the drop of a hat... that has to stop too. What a mess this “historic” final has been.

2.59 pm: “Deeply frustrating news,” starts Michael Atherton. Overs won’t be lost till 330 pm IST. Start of day’s play has been... SURPRISE, SURPRISE... delayed. Covers are on. “Forecast is good,” he adds.

Update from BLACKCAPS: “The covers are back on at the Hampshire Bowl and it’s looking like a delayed start in Southampton”

Pitch report: “Brilliant we are going to get some play,” optimistically says Ian Bishop. (Wonder when this was recorded). Says there should be something in the pitch for the seamers as it’s been covered for a day and more. India must go the “front edge” of a good length, even if the ball can rise from short of length. Sunil Gavaskar says the footmarks will bring the spin into play and that India would be better off using pace-spin in tandem.

Play is scheduled to start at 3 pm IST but there it’s reportedly drizzling at the moment. Sigh.

Virat Kohli warming up ahead of day five in Southampton...

2.39 pm: As we wait for play to begin in Southampton, here’s a look at 10 of the finest knocks by India captain Virat Kohli in Test cricket:
Virat Kohli’s 10 years in Test cricket: From Adelaide to Pune – looking back at his 10 best knocks

2.32 pm: Oh dear, not the news anyone was hoping for...

Hello and welcome to live coverage of day five of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand in Southampton.