Raina rallies India in New Zealand Test

Suresh Raina led India's recovery with an impressive half-century on the second day of the second and final Test against New Zealand in Bangalore on Saturday. The left-hander hit one six and eight fours in his unbeaten 51 as India reached 168-4 in their first innings at tea in reply to New Zealand's 365. He was on 48 when stumped off a no-ball from off-spinner Jeetan Patel. India were struggling at 80-4 before Raina and Virat Kohli (33 not out) put on 88 for the unfinished fifth-wicket stand to steady the innings. Kohli has so far hit one six and four boundaries in his 67-ball knock. New Zealand's fast bowlers troubled the Indian batsmen in overcast conditions, with Tim Southee taking two wickets in the morning and Doug Bracewell striking twice after lunch. Southee removed opener Gautam Gambhir (two) and Cheteshwar Pujara (nine) in his sharp opening spell, while Bracewell dismissed Virender Sehwag (43) and Sachin Tendulkar (17) in his successive overs. Gambhir, dropped on one by Brendon McCullum in the slips off paceman Trent Boult, failed to make the most of the chance as he was bowled offering no stroke to a delivery that came in. Pujara, who scored a solid 159 in the last Test, was caught by Boult at long leg while hooking. Opener Sehwag fell immediately after hitting Bracewell for a four in the opening over of the afternoon session, caught by Daniel Flynn. He cracked eight fours in his 60-ball knock. Bracewell then got a big wicket in his next over when he bowled Tendulkar to put more pressure on the hosts, who are leading 1-0 in the two-match series after victory by an innings and 115 runs in the first Test. Raina counter-attacked to ease the pressure, hitting Bracewell for three successive fours and then smashing Southee for two boundaries in an over. He also struck the first six of the innings, off Patel. India's left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha earlier finished with 5-99, his third haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings, as New Zealand added 37 runs in 8.4 overs to their overnight total of 328-6. Fast bowler Zaheer Khan was the first to strike when he had Kruger van Wyk (71) caught by Raina in the slips. The New Zealand wicket-keeper added just eight runs to his overnight score of 63. He cracked nine fours in his maiden Test half-century and added 99 runs for the seventh wicket with Bracewell (43). Bracewell, who was unbeaten on 30 on Friday, was run out after scoring 13 runs in the morning while Patel was caught by Gambhir at third man off seamer Umesh Yadav. Ojha ended the innings when he trapped Southee (14) leg-before. Zaheer finished with 2-83, while Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin each took one wicket.