Iyer, Saha’s fifties takes India to 213/7 at tea on Day 4

Kanpur: Debutant Shreyas Iyer hit a patient half-century (65 out) to rescue India to 167 for seven in their second innings at tea on the fourth day of the opening Test against New Zealand here on Sunday.

Resuming at the overnight score of 14 for one, India lost four wickets for the addition of 70 runs in the morning session before Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha joined hands to stitch crucial 83 runs for the seventh wicket and extend India’s lead to 216.

First innings centurion Iyer (65) got out just before tea but Saha was not out on 22 at the break.

For New Zealand, Tim Southee (3/48) and Kyle Jamieson (3/26) picked up three wickets each.

Brief Scores:

India 1st Innings: 345

New Zealand 1st Innings: 269

India 2nd innings: 213/7  in 75 overs (Shreyas Iyer 65, Ravichandran Ashwin 32, Wriddhiman Saha 51 not out,Axar Patel 17 not out ; Kyle Jamieson 3/26, Tim Southee 3/66).