New Zealand tightened their grip on the opening Test on Wednesday, grabbing three wickets in a short burst to leave the West Indies under real pressure at 120- 5 by tea on day two in Christchurch.
With a deficiency of 111 runs, the callers face an uphill task. Still, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the steady West Indies nature, remains unbeaten on 45, holding the innings together with Tevin Imlach, who’s three not out.
New Zealand Takes Firm Control
The day actually began on a positive note for the Windies. It took them only three balls to wrap up New Zealand’s first innings at the overnight 231-9, raising hopes of a tidy start. But the mood shifted sharply the moment their own batting began.
Young swing bowler Zak Foulkes, only two matches into his Test career, struck immediately. His very first ball lured John Campbell into a misjudged push, producing an edge that Will Young claimed with a sharp, one-handed catch at third slip.
Young later spilled a more routine chance from Alick Athanaze, but the reprieve was short-lived. Matt Henry sent Athanaze’s off-stump cartwheeled moments later, leaving the visitors nervy on 10-2.
From there, the innings relied heavily on Shai Hope, who battled not only New Zealand’s disciplined attack but also a bout of conjunctivitis, forcing him to bat in sunglasses under the heavy clouds.
If West Indies wants to post a good total against New Zealand and get a lead then all depends upon how Shai Hope performs. Sahi Hope is the Only Hope of West Indies nowadays. He is Carrying West Indies with The Bat. Very Underrated Batterpic.twitter.com/LR4WNEZlWJ
— Aryan Goel (@Aryan42832Goel) December 2, 2025
He showed real fortitude and countenance, guiding the innings through a pivotal 90-run cooperation with Chanderpaul junior, whose calm, left-handed fashion once again demonstrated why he’s getting a crucial figure in the Windies’ top order.
Chanderpaul Steadies the Windies After Collapse
Hope looked set to carry the West Indies into a safer home, reaching a determined half-century, his sixth in Test cricket, without offering numerous chances.
Yet on 56, he rowed a delivery from Jacob Duffy through to Tom Latham, ending a stalwart and important- demanded innings.
The redundancy opened the door for New Zealand, and Henry wasted no time. In a superb double-gate demoiselle, he removed both Roston Chase and Justin Greaves, each edging before without scoring.
What had looked like a promising rebuild at 100- 2 suddenly collapsed to 106- 5, a memorial of how ruthless Test justice can be.
As tea approached, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the patient Windies left-hander, continued to show applaudable discipline. His steady presence is now pivotal if the West Indies hope to stay competitive in this match.
With New Zealand bowling with confidence and the deficiency still sizeable, the callers will need a commodity special in the coming session to avoid slipping further behind.
