An early morning mix-up between Ajinkya Rahane and non-striker Rishabh Pant proved significant as it resulted in the latter's untimely wicket to give New Zealand just the kind of start it needed on Day 2 in Wellington Test, said veteran pacer Tim Southee.
The hosts, smelling an opportunity with one end opened up, eventually bundled out the Indians for a poor 165-run total in the first session; the visitors losing five wickets for just 43 runs after resuming play at 122/5.
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"The run-out of Pant was big this morning," Southee told reporters after the day's play as he ended the first innings with figures of 4/49. "With him (Pant) being such a dangerous player and leading into that second new-ball, he could have scored quickly along with Jinks (Rahane's nickname)."
"We knew though if we could open one end up with the bowlers, then Jinks was looking to play a little bit more aggressively, which brings us into play a little more."
"The way we bowled this morning was pretty good. To come off and finish the Indian batting line-up like that with two dangerous players in this morning," he added.
While debutant Kyle Jamieson also bagged a four-fer, it was important Southee felt for someone among the team's senior pacers to stand-up to the task in absence of Neil Wagner and he trusted his own methods to do so; relying fully on skill and the ability to use the crease very well to generate movement in the air and off the deck.
"I probably gave up worrying about speed a while ago, so I guess you've got to rely on other skills, and I guess swing, there was a little bit of swing there today," he said.
"Not been as windy as it was yesterday, so us as a bowling unit, we try to expose that swing when we get it, and there was a little bit there today."
The Kiwis surpassed the Indian total by 51 runs until stumps with still another five wickets left in the tank.
"You always want to be one wicket less than what you are," Southee said. "But saying that, if we can carry on tomorrow morning, get a couple of partnerships together and try and build that lead, then going into the second innings it will be nice."
"There is a little bit of spin. You don't usually see that on Day 2 at the Basin. That's why the first innings becomes important," he added.
"If we can build those partnerships and eke out as big a lead as we possibly can then I guess that makes that second innings a little bit easier. I'm not sure how the wicket's going to play over the next few days."
(Inputs from PTI)
