Dhoni's decision to bowl in humid conditions was more than vindicated as Zaheer and Ishant tore through the top order. Zaheer started the rot with two wickets in four balls, and when Ishant came back to grab three in his second spell. 
Zaheer slanted one across to take the edge of Guptill's bat. Rahul Dravid dived across from third slip and took a smart catch at the second attempt, to join Mark Waugh on 181, a world record. When Daniel Flynn tickled one down the leg side for Dhoni to take a fine catch.It should have been even worse, but Sehwag put down Ross Taylor at gully, despite getting two opportunities to grab on to an ill-judged slash.
McIntosh's attempt to play one from Ishanth with an angled bat found Sehwag at the first of two gullies.Munaf gave nothing away, bowling full and straight, but it was Ishant that struck, sending Taylor's off stump flying with a superb delivery that darted back in to brush the pad.
Poor James Franklin was sent packing by Simon Taufel, though replays clearly showed that the delivery from Ishant had brushed the back pad and not the bat. But with no referral system in place for the series, New Zealand were suddenly looking at a score of 51 for 5.McCullum edged one to second slip of Munaf patel just before lunch.
Superb hundreds from Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder dragged New Zealand from the depths of 60 for 6 to a relatively respectable 279 on a well-grassed but true pitch at Seddon Park.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a sharp catch diving to his right after Vettori got a thin inside edge off Munaf Patel, New Zealand were 246 for 7. The wickets column showed 8 a ball later, as Munaf produced a searing yorker to mess up Kyle Mills' stumps.
What was Iain O'Brien thinking? He had batted so well with Jesse Ryder before madness struck. O'Brien survived a hat-trick first up and then played a supporting role while Ryder moved from 77 to 98 during the ninth-wicket partnership. And then O'Brien stepped out to Harbhajan to defend one and got stumped.
What was Iain O'Brien thinking? He had batted so well with Jesse Ryder before madness struck. O'Brien survived a hat-trick first up and then played a supporting role while Ryder moved from 77 to 98 during the ninth-wicket partnership. And then O'Brien stepped out to Harbhajan to defend one and got stumped.
The famously inept Chris Martin came in to bat with five balls to go in the Harbhajan over, with Ryder helpless at the non-striker's end, two short of a maiden Test century. Gripping drama ensued. With every ball that Martin kept out, the cheers in the ground kept getting louder.
He somehow he kept his cool.Ishant started the next over with a spread-out field, and tried a bouncer. Ryder saw it early and played his trademark short-arm pull to get to his first hundred. It was received by loud cheers from the dressing room, and acknowledgements from every Indian fielder.Ryder pulled the next ball again but holed out.
By stumps, India had knocked off 29 with Virender Sehwag looking in ominously good touch. India dominated the first session and the final hour
No comments:
Post a Comment