 "India skipper Rohit Sharma in action during the second Test against New Zealand in Pune. AP")
India bowled out New Zealand for 255 runs on the third day of the second Test in Pune on Saturday, with the Kiwis thus setting up a target of 359 for the hosts to chase down. This is a must-win match for India as far as the three-match Test series is concerned, after the Rohit Sharma-led outfit went down to the Black Caps by eight wickets in the first Test in Bengaluru. New Zealand resumed their innings from an overnight score of 198/5 on Saturday, with Tom Blundell (30*) and Glenn Phillips (9*) resuming.
Follow LIVE Score | India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 3 in Pune
However, Ravindra Jadeja struck at regular intervals to remove Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel whereas Ravichandran Ashwin got rid of Tim Southee. William O’Rourke was run-out at the non-strikers’ end.
IND vs NZ 2nd Test Day 2 analysis | Team India blown away by competitive and committed New Zealand as Kiwis eye Test history
Only time India chased down 300-plus total in Tests at home
India have chased down a 300-plus total in Tests at home only on one occasion previously. That was in December 2008 during a Test against England in Chennai, when India chased down 387 with six wickets to spare. Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 103 whereas Yuvraj Singh was not out at 85 at the other end. Current India head coach Gautam Gambhir (66) and Virender Sehwag (83) had opened the innings for India and forged a 117-run stand for the opening wicket before the latter was dismissed by Graeme Swann. India went onto win that Test series 1-0, after the second Test in Mohali ended in a draw.
West Indies remain the only other team to have chased down a total of 250-plus in a Test match in India. During a Test match against India in 1987, the West Indies had chased down 276 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsList of highest fourth innings chases in India
India 387/4 against England in Chennai, 2008
West Indies 276/5 against India in Delhi, 1987
India 276/5 against West Indies in Delhi, 2011
India 262/5 against New Zealand in Bengaluru, 2012
India 256/8 vs Australia in Mumbai, 1964
Coming back to the second Test against New Zealand, India were 26/0 in their chase of 359 at the time of writing this report.