Bumrah, Shami get cracking for NZ first Test

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami gave an exhibition of high-quality fast bowling on Saturday, on Day 2 of India's warm-up match against New Zealand XI, sending a warning signal for the home team ahead of first Test in Wellington.

For the record, New Zealand, replying to the India's 263, were bowled out for 235 in 74.2 overs, as Bumrah (2/18 in 11 overs) and Shami (3/17 in 10 overs) used the conditions well and, in the process, added miles to their legs ahead of the two World Test Championship games.

Umesh Yadav (2/49 in 13 overs) and Navdeep Saini (2/58 in 15 overs) bowled more overs but weren't half as good as the two premier pacers who troubled the batsmen in all their spells.

With the pitch easing out, Prithvi Shaw (29 batting off 19 balls) unleashed a series of cover drives including a six off a ramp shot while Mayank Agarwal (23 batting off 17 balls) got a maximum with a ‘Nataraja shot’ to finish the day at 53 for no loss.

For head coach Ravi Shastri, the basic idea was to check out how his pacers get into the groove, and Bumrah and Shami hit the straps straightaway in overcast conditions.

While Umesh and Saini, in their first spells, bowled too full, Bumrah pitched deliveries on back of length, generating disconcerting bounce. He bowled in three short spells while Shami bowled two spells.

The crafty Shami, after getting a hang that ball wasn't jagging around too much despite cloud cover, concentrated on getting the ball to seam both ways.

Bumrah got Will Young (2) with an angular delivery that straightened after pitching to get a nick that landed in Rishabh Pant's gloves.

The delivery that got right-hander Finn Allen (20) was one that pitched on back of length and the batsman played for the bounce, deciding to shoulder arms. However, the ball nipped back and clipped the off-bail much to his dismay.

The second spell that Shami bowled post-lunch was the one that troubled the New Zealand batsmen including senior international Jimmy Neesham, who was unable to counter the seam movement and extra bounce.

Before that he removed the set Henry Cooper (40 off 68 balls) with a fuller delivery that the batsman wanted to drive.

Once the they had bowled enough overs, the duo did not come out in the final session as they had done their job for the day.

The final half an hour was entertaining as Scott Kuggeliejn and Blair Tickner got some serious pasting from both Shaw and Agarwal, who used the pace to get some easy runs.

It did help that the Seddon Park track had eased out considerably making stroke-play easier than expected.

With India sticking to the Shaw-Agarwal opening combination for the second successive day, Shubman Gill may just have to wait for his Test debut.

- SCORECARD

India (1st innings): 

Prithvi Shaw c Rachin Ravindra b Kuggeleijn 0

Mayank Agarwal c Cleaver b Kuggeleijn 1

Cheteshwar Pujara c Cleaver b Jake Gibson 93

Shubman Gill c Seifert b Kuggeleijn 0

Ajinkya Rahane c Tom Bruce b Neesham 18

Hanuma Vihari retired out 101

Rishabh Pant c Kuggeleijn b Ish Sodhi 7

Wriddhiman Saha c Cleaver b Jake Gibson 0

Ravichandran Ashwin lbw b Ish Sodhi 0

Umesh Yadav not out 9

Ravindra Jadeja c Finn Allen b Ish Sodhi 8

Extras (B-8, LB-6, W-3, NB-9) 26

Total: (all out in 78.5 overs) 263

Fall of wickets: 0-1 (Prithvi Shaw, 0.4 ov), 5-2 (Mayank Agarwal, 6.1 ovs), 5-3 (Shubman Gill, 6.2 ovs), 38-4 (Ajinkya Rahane, 15.3 ovs), 233-5 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 71.2 ovs), 246-6 (Rishabh Pant, 74.1 ovs), 246-7 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 74.3 ovs), 250-8 (Wriddhiman Saha, 75.3 ovs), 263-9 (Ravindra Jadeja, 78.5 ovs).

Bowling: Scott Kuggeleijn 14-2-40-3, Blair Tickner 15-3-3-70, Daryl Mitchell 7-1-15-0, James Neesham 13-3-29-1, Jake Gibson 10-1-26-2, Ish Sodhi 14.5-0-72-3, Rachin Ravindra 5-1-30-0.

New Zealand XI (1st innings):

Will Young c Pant b Bumrah 2

Rachin Ravindra c Pant b Yadav 34

Tim Seifert c Pant b Shami 9

Finn Allen b Bumrah 20

Henry Cooper c Agarwal b Shami 40

Tom Bruce b Saini 31

Daryl Mitchell c Shaw b Yadav 32

James Neesham b Shami 1

Dane Cleaver b Saini 13

Scott Kuggeleijn not out 11

Ish Sodhi c Pujara b Ashwin 14

Extras: (B-13, LB-9 W-3, NB-3) 28

Total: (all out in 74.2 overs) 235

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-36, 3-70, 4-82, 5-133, 6-155, 7-161, 8-204, 9-213.

Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 11-3-18-2, Umesh Yadav 13-1-49-2, Mohammed Shami 10-5-17-3, Navdeep Saini 15-2-58-2, Ravichandran Ashwin 15.2-2-46-1, Ravindra Jadeja 10-4-25-0.

India (2nd innings):

Prithvi Shaw batting 35

Mayank Agarwal batting 23

Extras: (W-1) 1

Total: (for no loss from 7 overs) 59

Bowling: Blair Tickner 3-0-19-0, Scott Kuggeleijn 3-0-34-0, Scott Johnston 1-0-6-0.