Sunday, Dec 22, 2002
Sunday, Dec 22, 2002 |
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Cricket
By S. Dinakar
Indian speedster Zaheer Khan takes a return catch to dismiss Stephen Fleming in New Zealand's first innings in the second Test at Hamilton on Saturday. -- Photo: N. Balaji
The ball jagged around and bounced all day, an astonishing 22 wickets tumbled, and two teams were bowled out. A Day Three of the second National Bank Test that was bizarre, dramatic and action packed. When the stumps were drawn here on Saturday, New Zealand, set a target of 160, required 136 for a clean sweep, while India needed 10 wickets to level the scores. The series was in balance. Earlier in the day, fired by left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, India had made history, bundling out the Kiwis for 94. India's 99 thus became the lowest total to fetch the first innings lead in Tests. It was also the first time that two Test sides had been dismissed for a score below hundred in the first innings. Zaheer (five for 29) recorded his second five-wicket Test haul of this series and his career, Darryl Tuffey returned stunning match-figures of eight for 53, while Jacob Oram struck crucial blows to finish with four for 41 when India batted a second time. After the Indian second innings concluded at 154, the Kiwis had an awkward 15 overs to negotiate, but openers Mark Richardson, who appeared solid, and Lou Vincent, who could have departed had Sanjay Bangar held on to a reflex catch at short-leg off Tinu Yohannan, saw the day through. With the top-soil soft due to the rain and the delayed start, there was additional seam movement and bounce for the pacemen, both on Friday, and for most part of Saturday, because of the moisture on the surface. However, the bowling was made to appear better than it actually was, the pitch worse than what it actually was, and it was all too evident that the welter of one-day cricket had adversely affected the batsmen's technique, especially when it came to battling on demanding pitches. Due to the softness of the soil, the odd delivery gripped and took off from a length, still that doesn't account for 22 wickets tumbling on a single day. Things surely were not all that bad, the wicket not quite so spiteful.
Poor batting
Some of the dismissals stemmed from rank bad batting — by both sides — with the batsmen, not backing themselves to survive, perishing to extravagant strokes. It seemed all too simple, all too easy, for the pacemen. The first innings of both the sides consumed just 38.2 overs, while the Indian second innings lasted 43.5 overs. Three slips and two gullys were in place for most part, as the seamers called the shots. Zaheer, Tuffey and Oram landed the ball in the right areas and reaped the rewards. Tinu Yohannan, in the New Zealand second innings, and Ashish Nehra, during the first, were impressive too, but star bowler Shane Bond operated poorly, bowling too full a length and straying down the leg-side. Application and strength of mind were the key factors to put together an innings of substance on a pitch like this, and before he cut Oram into point's hands, Dravid did just that, getting his body behind the line to the good ones, while driving, cutting and pulling the occasional loose delivery. His 39 (100b, 6x4), till the third day, was the highest individual score of the match. Sachin Tendulkar batted quite brilliantly too for his 48-ball 32, on-driving, cover-driving, and flicking Bond for boundaries, and swaying out of the line of a flier when the paceman responded. The Mumbai batsman appeared set for a bigger score when he dragged a Tuffey delivery on to his stumps. Parthiv Patel walked out to open with Sanjay Bangar when the Indians batted a second time and though the youngster was done in by a ball that held its line by Tuffey, his promotion at least showed that the team-management was thinking along the right lines. More comfortable down the order, Sehwag cracked a strokeful 25 at No. 7 before driving too early at Bond for Tuffey to hold a fine catch at covers. The Indian innings also saw a smart piece of captaincy from Stephen Fleming when he replaced Oram with Nathan Astle, and the friendly medium pacer struck with his first delivery, getting the delivery to straighten and bowling V.V.S. Laxman. And there was a brilliant catch thrown in too as wicket-keeper Robbie Hart flung himself to his left when Ganguly, desperately in need of runs, edged Oram. Towards the end, Harbhajan and the lower order added some useful runs, to take the target beyond the 150-run mark.
Zaheer sparkles
In the morning, Zaheer was charged up, landing the ball on the seam and gaining appreciable movement, both ways, and bounce. Lou Vincent, clearly in need of runs, nicked one angling across him to Dravid at first slip, and Richardson, the man most likely to make runs in these conditions, padded up to Zaheer...fatally. Yohannan, who shared the new ball with Zaheer, was steady, while Nehra, lucky to receive another chance, operated with much passion and fire, giving the out-of-form Craig McMillan a torrid time, before gobbling him up, the batsman pouched by Dravid at first slip. Nathan Astle succumbed to an ill-advised cut shot in the same over, and the spring was back in the steps of the Indians. Fleming essayed some attractive strokes in his 21, and when he scooped up a drive immediately after lunch to bowler Zaheer, the Kiwis were in trouble. Harbhajan, who bowled well for an off-spinner in these conditions, won a debatable leg-before decision against Scott Styris, when the batsman was struck on the chest attempting to sweep. But for a couple of hefty blows from Tuffey there was hardly any resistance from the Kiwi lower-order. Earlier in the day, the big Jacob Oram snared Patel on his overnight score of eight, 'keeper Hart pouching the snick, and although Ashish Nehra pulled Shane Bond defiantly for a six, the Kiwi pace ace had the Indian tail-ender taken at first slip, to end up with four wickets. Soon, the Indian pacemen had their share of fun on a seaming, bouncing Westpac Park wicket, before Tuffey & Co. took over again. For the batsmen though, it was a game of Russian Roulette.
SCOREBOARD
India Bowling: Zaheer 13.2-4-29-5 (nb-3); Yohannan 9-4-16-0 (nb-6); Nehra 8-3-20-2 (nb-1); Bangar 2-1-4-0; Harbhajan 6-0-20-2.
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