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Kanpur - India's 500th Test match ended in victory celebrations
on Monday as they romped to a 197-run triumph in their series opener against New
Zealand, with Ravichandran Ashwin taking six wickets.
New Zealand resumed their second innings on 93 for four at
the start of the fifth and final day in pursuit of an unlikely 434-run victory
target, but were bowled out shortly after lunch for 236.
Ashwin, who recorded his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests, and
left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja shared 16 wickets between them in the match to
flatten the New Zealand batting at Kanpur's Green Park.
The lanky off-spinner got Neil Wagner lbw for nought to end
with overall match figures of 10-225 and trigger wild celebrations in the
Indian camp.
A 102-run partnership between overnight batsmen Luke Ronchi
and Mitchell Santner helped New Zealand put up some resistance in the first
hour of play. Ronchi's fighting 80 was laced with nine fours and a six.
But left-arm spinner Jadeja, who registered a five-wicket
haul in the first innings, managed to break their stand when Ronchi mistimed a
flatter delivery and was caught at point by Ashwin.
Santner, whose valiant 71 included seven fours and two
sixes, was snared by Ashwin shortly after lunch when he fell to a virtually
unplayable delivery.
The ball pitched well outside the leg-stump and turned and
bounced to take the left-handed Santner by surprise as he edged the ball to
point.
Pace spearhead Mohammed Shami also claimed two wickets in
the innings, including wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling for 18.
Ashwin claimed three wickets on Sunday to reduce New Zealand
to 56 for four at one stage, after getting openers Martin Guptill and Tom
Latham in quick succession.
Ashwin also had skipper Kane Williamson, who top-scored with
75 in the first innings, dismissed lbw to claim his 200th Test wicket on the
fourth day to give India a firm grip.
India declared their second innings on 377 for five at tea
on the fourth day with Rohit Sharma and Jadeja putting on a 100-run unbeaten
partnership for the sixth wicket.
Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored for the hosts with 78 and his
133-run second-wicket partnership with Murali Vijay (76) was the highlight of
India's second innings.
Ashwin and Jadeja had given India the advantage on the third
day after bowling out New Zealand for 262 in response to India's first-innings
318.
