Sehwag leads spirited India’s reply

HYDERABAD: Virender Sehwag smashed 96 and Gautam Gambhir hit 54 before New Zealand removed both the openers on day two of the second Test against India.

Sehwag hit 15 fours and a six and added 160 runs for the opening wicket with Gambhir to steer India to 178 for two in reply to New Zealand’s first-innings 350.

Sehwag was trapped leg-before by Daniel Vettori as he tried to slog-sweep the left-arm spinner, shortly before curtains were drawn. Gambhir managed to score his first Test half-century in 10 months but edged paceman Tim Southee to wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins after facing 129 balls.

Earlier, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh helped India bowl out the tourists early into the second session. The first Test ended as a draw while the final match will be played from November 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2010.