India and New Zealand still have chance of victory as World Test Championship Final enters sixth day

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The World Test Championship final comes to day six with India and New Zealand still holding out hopes of victory; Kane Williamson restricted 49 of 177 balls and helps New Zealand lead 32 in the first inning amid Mohammed Shami’s 4-76; India closes with 64-2 with a 32 advantage but loses both starters

Kane Williamson scored 49 of 177 balls in a superb vigil for New Zealand against India in Southampton.

India and New Zealand still have a chance to force victory on the potentially exciting sixth and final day of the World Trials Championship final at the Hampshire Bowl.

India closed an absorbing fifth day at 64-2, leading 32, and a positive result remains possible, albeit unlikely, as the reserve day was activated after a weather incident in Southampton.

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson (49 of 177) played a brilliant shot while India sailor Mohammed Shami (4-76) swept through his teammates to give New Zealand a 32 lead in the first inning by scoring 249.

Williamson’s men now look like the most likely winners with Tim Southee ruling out India starters Shubman Gill (8) and Rohit Sharma (30) lbw with excellent in-swingers rather than stumps, having worked them out with out-swingers.

New Zealand will be hoping to dive into India and take down a cheap target on what will be a sunny Wednesday, with Virat Kohli, who is undefeated with eight, perhaps looking at a statement and a dart at the end of the day at the Kiwis if his team can. score quickly and get far enough to the front.

Mohammed Shami took four wickets on day five at The Hampshire Bowl

The draw remains the big favorite, a result that would see the trophy shared, as inclement weather on the south coast has ruined much of the opening final.

Days one and four were completely washed away by rain, while entertaining days two and three were cut short by bad light.

There was also frustration early on day five, with a light drizzle delaying the game by 60 minutes, but when the action started at 11.30am, with New Zealand at 101-2 and trailing India’s first-inning total of 217 by 116 racing, There were two fascinating hours before the lunch break.

The first hour saw just 13 runs scored in 16 overs when the steadfast Williamson, who scored just 15 of the first 100 balls he faced in his hit, sank and Ross Taylor (11) somehow survived a mock exam. of Indian pacemakers, with Shami particularly impressive.

India finally got their rewards after the drink break, taking three wickets in 7.1 overs after throwing the ball fuller, with Taylor (11), Henry Nicholls (7) and BJ Watling (1) eliminated as New Zealand fell from 117 -2 to 135. -5.

Taylor drove a ball thrown from Shami from off the stump into a short cover where Shubman Gill made an excellent catch to his right, while Watling, playing his 75th and final Test, also fell to Shami, thrown by a ball that cut a bunt. to hit the top and middle stumps.

Shami’s grounds included Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme

Shami’s wickets intercepted Ishant Sharma (3-48) cutting the left-handed Nicholls from around the wicket with a fine ball that tipped in and then drifted away – Rohit dove through Pujara on the cord to catch the catch while New Zealand headed to lunch below 82.

Shami caught a third wicket after the break, catching Colin de Grandhomme (13) lbw with a nip-backer from the width of the fold, with Black Caps 162-6 at that stage and India feeling a lead in the first inning.

However, Kyle Jamieson (21 of 16) and Tim Southee (30 of 46) added strength to Williamson’s ballast – Southee beat two sixes and Jamieson one – with their cameos helping New Zealand score at a faster pace and put 87 on his last goal. four wickets.

Williamson hit the boundary, off Shami, who led New Zealand to the lead, but then lost in Test 50 33 when he played away from his body and steered Ishant towards Kohli on the second slip to become the eighth man eliminated. .

Shami had previously rebounded Jamieson after the New Zealander skyscraper hit him by six, while Ravindra Jadeja did something similar to Southee, throwing him off his legs to finish New Zealand innings after being cut by a massive high in midwicket.

Neil Wagner (0), who was trapped behind by Ajinkya Rahane off Ravichandran Ashwin (28), was unable to score, but Trent Boult broke a boundary before finishing with seven with no outs as New Zealand hit another 28 runs after the expulsion of Williamson.

Southee followed up his fireworks with the bat by making the opening breakthrough in India’s second inning, pinning Gill (8) lbw with a full swinger after the starter played around his front pad.

Rohit then slung his arms over his shoulder until the end of Southee to depart 15 minutes before the stumps, with his replacement Kohli, who was hit in the helmet by a Southee goalkeeper, and Pujara (12th of 55) leading India all the way, setting up a fascinating finale on Wednesday.

Watch the sixth day of the India-New Zealand World Trials Championship final live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Wednesday.

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