Can't look too far ahead, need short-term goals: Ashwin

Led by some handy lower order contributions, New Zealand powered their way to 348 on Sunday (February 23) before being bundled out in the first innings, taking a 183-run lead. A good part of that effort came from a 71-run stand between Colin de Grandhomme and debutant Kyle Jamieson for the eighth wicket, followed by Trent Boult's brisk 24-ball 38. Their contributions allowed New Zealand to revive from 225 for 7, as the last three stands kept the Indian bowlers at bay for almost 26 overs, and 123 runs.

The inability to bowl out the tail isn't a new problem that India is plagued with. In fact, in the last two years, they have taken the most number of deliveries to run through the lower order. Speaking about why the Indian bowlers have struggled, R Ashwin passed on the credit to New Zealand's lower order batters and said, "I think sometimes we pay too much importance to saying we need to bowl out teams far quicker, and I am not saying we shouldn't. But batsmen don't get out anymore. Lower-order batters do put a price on their wickets.

"If you were on two wickets say 20-25 years ago, you would probably end up with a five-for. Jamieson has got a couple of first-class hundreds if I am not wrong (Well, he is wrong) and Ajaz Patel, he can bat as well. Boult batted really well. You got to give credit where it is due. Like I said, they really understand these conditions very well and use it to their advantage. They try and hit it with the breeze they know what works and what doesn't. That's something we should quickly learn from them and try and compete with them."

However, that's not where India's miseries ended on Day 3. India's top order faltered yet again, even as all the batsmen managed to get into double digit figures. The visitors were reduced to 144 for 4 at stumps, still reeling with a 39-run deficit. Explaining why the top order failed to make good use of their starts, Ashwin said, "If I knew, I would tell you! I really don't know, I don't have an answer for that question.

"But there is enough in the surface. It was very moist on the first day and they had watered it considerably and even when it rained, they didn't cover it quickly when it was raining on match-day. So the dent created on the grass is making it difficult for us to play our shots. Credit needs to be given where it has to be. They are bowling lovely lengths and they have been very incisive in the second innings even when in the second innings where they know it is not the same as it was on the first day. They have made it really hard work for us."

Even as India are firmly on the backfoot in the ongoing Wellington Test, the offspinner believes there is still a long way to go in the contest, and India will have to plan their progress slowly from hereon. "We are not yet in a stage of the game where, from our perspective in the dressing room, that we can look at it very far. We will have to take it per session, per hour, or however small a target we can set, the better it is for us.

"It's about getting away the morning session tomorrow. Since there's so much time in the game, it's very difficult to say what might happen, what we might foresee. It's important to stay in the moment and continue the way they are batting. They are set and they know what the wicket is like, so we will look to cash in tomorrow morning once again."

He still doesn't want to pinpoint on what could be a defendable score and adds, "I know to keep it simple and say that this is defendable and this is not pretty much how you would want me to present it but it's too much. It's like six sessions to go in the game and we are not even in a stage where we can think about what's a good score to defend but if we can get as close to the first innings score as they did, then we might present ourselves an opportunity to try and do something. But that's very far away and we have to take every ball at a time, to be honest. Because there's enough in the surface.

"But like Test match cricket begins now. They have bowled 65 overs, we will have to see how they wake up and if we can bat another session out in the morning..."