SOUTHAMPTON, JUNE 23
New Zealand will need 120 runs from the final session with all 10 wickets in hand to win the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title after their all-seam attack skittled out India for 170 on Wednesday.
Chasing 139 for victory in the weather-marred contest, New Zealand were 19 for no loss at tea on the reserve day, which was activated to make up for lost time at the Ageas Bowl.
Openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham were batting on nine and five respectively with New Zealand sniffing victory in the bowler-dominated, low-scoring contest.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant made an entertaining 41 but India still fell well short of the 200-mark in their second innings.
Kyle Jamieson had been the wrecker-in-chief in India's first innings and the towering seamer returned to haunt them again on the sixth morning.
The 6' 8" (2.03m) bowler dismissed Virat Kohli (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) in successive overs to jolt India.
The bowler was denied a third wicket when Tim Southee dropped Pant's edge at second slip when the batsman was on five.
The left-hander decided to counter-attack, stepping out repeatedly against Neil Wagner injecting excitement into the contest with his devil-may-care batting.
Pant attempted the scoop shot, played the reverse pull and nearly ran himself out in his eventful knock which came to an end after an inspired bowling change by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
Trent Boult (3-39) dismissed Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin in the same over before Southee (4-48) polished off the tail dismissing Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah in a space of five balls.
