New Zealand suffer second innings toil against India

A career-best seven for 64 from Tim Southee helped New Zealand to a first-innings advantage over India on the third day of their second test.

New Zealand's Tim Southee celebrates after taking Virat Kohli's wicket during the second Test against India.

BANGALORE // India captured four wickets in the afternoon session to put New Zealand under pressure on the third day of the second and final Test.

The tourists were 123-4 in their second innings at tea for an overall lead of 135 runs, with Daniel Flynn unbeaten on 25 and James Franklin on 11 not out.

New Zealand paceman Tim Southee earlier grabbed a maiden seven-wicket haul as India were bowled out for 353 in their first innings in the morning in reply to the tourists' 365.

The 23-year-old finished with 7-64, the best by a New Zealander in a Test innings in India.New Zealand faltered in the afternoon against India's pace-spin combination, with paceman Umesh Yadav taking two wickets and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha each taking one.

Yadav bowled Martin Guptill (seven) with a full-toss and had Brendon McCullum (23) caught behind, while Ashwin had Kane Williamson (13) caught by Virender Sehwag in the slips in his first over.

Ojha then removed skipper Ross Taylor (35), who was trapped leg-before while attempting to sweep.

New Zealand earlier struck with the second new ball, which was taken immediately after it was due, as India added 70 runs to their overnight total of 283-5.

Southee, playing his 19th Test, claimed four of the five wickets that fell in the morning, including those of middle-order batsman Virat Kohli (103) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (62).He took all of his wickets with the second new ball, conceding 28 runs in his sharp eight-over spell.

Southee came close to getting his eighth wicket but Guptill failed to hold on to a sharp chance in the slips off Ashwin, who went on to make an unbeaten 32 with five fours.

Ashwin helped his team cross the 350-mark with a 33-run stand for the last wicket with Yadav.  Kohli, playing only his 10th Test, cracked one six and 14 fours in his second hundred, and his first in India, while Dhoni hit two sixes and eight fours in his second successive Test half-century.

The pair added 122 for the sixth wicket.

Kohli, 93 overnight, flicked pacemen Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult for fours to reach his hundred but fell soon after, trapped leg-before offering no stroke to an in-coming Southee delivery.

Dhoni straight-drove the first delivery from new-ball bowler Boult for a boundary to complete his 26th Test half-century. He added just 16 to his overnight score of 46 when he fell lbw to become Southee's 50th Test victim.

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