India win 3rd Test against New Zealand, bag series 1-0

Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha wreaked havoc on a turning track as India recorded one of their most convincing Test wins in recent times by thrashing New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs in third and final Test to clinch the three-match series 1-0 here today.

The spin duo never looked threatening during the entire series but proved to be an altogether different proposition with turn and bounce that was on offer.

Both Harbhajan (3/56) and Ojha (2/67) got appreciable turn and bounce as the Black Caps batsmen literally struggled to stay put on a track that was suddenly looking difficult to bat on. There was sharp turn on offer and some of the balls were also keeping low.

If Harbhajan and Ojha decimated the top-order, Ishant Sharma (3/15) and Suresh Raina (2/1) blasted out the lower order as New Zealand were all out for 175 in only 51.2 overs.

Needing 349 runs to clear the first innings deficit, the visitors needed to show a lot of application but not having encountered appreciable turn and bounce in the previous matches meant that there wasn't a lot of homework done.

The pressure was immense and Daniel Vettori's men surrendered meekly with the match lasting barely three and half days.

Brendon McCullum (25), the double centurion of the last Test, on whom Vettori must have depended a lot went back in the 14th over as he missed a ball trying to play on the backfoot. It would have hit the leg stump and Simon Taufel made no mistake in ruling the batsman leg before.

Martin Guptill (0) who has had a woeful Test match saw a delivery from Ojha pitched on the leg stump and turn sharply towards the middle stump finding the batsman's pads. Taufel took some time before raising his finger as Ojha was in with a hat-trick chance.

At 38 for three, New Zealand were looking down the barrel. Ross Taylor (29) tried to hit the spinners more out of desperation as the noose got tighter. Wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins certainly not the best among the wicketkeeper batsman who are playing international cricket was the next man out.

Scratching around for 35 balls having scored only eight, Hopkins tried to drive Harbhajan but the ball turned to find his bat and pad. Gautam Gambhir standing at forward short-leg took a brilliant one-handed reflex catch diving to his right.

While Jesse Ryder (22) did show some stomach for a fight at one end, the other batsmen didn't have good enough technique to play on a turning track. Harbhajan, in fact made good use of the rough patch that was created on side as some of the ball really turned and jumped.

The feisty spinner from Jallandhar got his third victim when Ross Taylor offered a simple bat-pad catch to substitute Cheteshwar Pujara. The television replays however couldn't confirm whether the ball hit the bat or not.

With half the team back in the pavilion for less than 100, the match as a contest was as good as over in the first hour itself.

Kane Williamson (8) was castled by an Ishant Sharma delivery that kept low and moved in after pitching.

Ryder's 53-ball vigil ended when he got out trying to hoick Suresh Raina only to be holed out by Ishant at mid-off.

Raina, who is being groomed as a specialist part-timer as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag don't bowl often these days bowled a straighter one to trap Vettori (13) plumb in front to reduce New Zealand to 124 for eight.

Ishant got his second wicket when Tim Southee (31, 3x6) was bowled through the gate and wrapped it up with another incoming delivery that breached through Chris Martin's defence.

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New Zealand will look to post 500 plus: Guptill

HYDERABAD: New Zealand is looking at a first innings total of more than 500 runs on Saturday to exert pressure on the Indian batting line up in the second Test, said opener Martin Guptill, who hit a patient 85 on Friday.

Starting the series as rank outsiders, New Zealand 

continued to impress and finished the first day of the 

second Test at 258 for four at the Rajiv Gandhi 

International Stadium.

"I think 500 will be a good score on this wicket and we would then hope that our bowlers do the job and put pressure on India," Guptill said.

 

New Zealand were in trouble after S Sreesanth removed opener Brendon McCullum with a delivery that 

straightened on landing in the fourth over of the day.

But Guptill, along with centurion Tim McIntosh steadied the ship with a 147-run partnership for the second 

wicket and finished the day at a respectable position to ensure that India don't enjoy the upper hand.

"We were just telling each other to stay positive. That partnership really gave us the momentum, but losing 

two wickets towards the end pushed us a little back. But hopefully, we can push the Indians," he said.

Summing up the team's performance, Guptill said, "The wicket was pretty flat but I think we played pretty 

well. And the Indians were landing the ball in demanding areas."

Asked about the wicket, Guptill said, "There is something in it for everybody. It has something more than 

at least Ahmedabad."

 

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Motera Test: Harbhajan, Laxman ensure draw for India

The opening Test between India and New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera ended as a draw on the fifth and final day on Monday.

The visitors, chasing 295 to win, had made 22 for one when play was called off. It is the seventh draw in the last eight Tests between the two countries on Indian soil - India's last win at home coming in 1999 at Kanpur.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh (115) and VVS Laxman (91) helped India save the match.

The duo put on a record 163 runs for the seventh wicket before Daniel Vettori struck, giving the visitors their first breakthrough of what had otherwise been a lacklustre day from the bowling point of view. It was a spectacular recovery, considering India was 15 for five at one stage in their second essay. The home team didn't lose a wicket in the morning session and only two in the post-lunch session.

However, with no declaration coming it was palpable that India was playing for a draw rather than forcing a result. The draw meant, New Zealand was left seeking that elusive Test win on Indian soil. The Kiwis' last won in India way back in 1988 - in Mumbai  in what was only their second ever win on Indian soil (after Nagpur in 1969).

Harbhajan was named the man-of-the-match for his batting efforts in both the innings. He aggregated 184 for the match.

While the home side managed to save the match, the visitors gave a good account of themselves.

Considered outsiders (read no-hoppers) coming into the Test, New Zealand dominated three of the five days played and ended up with a positive result.

The lack of an extra bowler - Bennett was out injured in the second innings - definitely hurt the visitors. As also the fact that most of the outside edges didn't carry added to their woes.

Mark Greatbatch, the Kiwi coach, had ahead of the series, said two draws would be a good result for his side. And New Zealand is halfway through to his expectations.

India may be ranked the no.1 Test team in the world. But it is yet to behave like one.When it was in a position to force a result, it preferred to save the game than go for the kill.

The apprehension of a loss, akin to the days of the yore, still exists. And that is certainly not the hallmark of a champion side.

Morning session: (82 runs, 30 overs, no wickets)

The home team expectedly had a sedate start in the morning, the first four overs yielding just five runs.

Harbhajan survived a run out attempt in the day's third over - when Vettori missed the stumps - and then hit the first boundary of the day (off Martin). 

He also hit the second boundary of the day a few overs later, this time off Vettori, soon after McCullum had failed to grab at silly point what can best be described as a half chance.Harbhajan was living dangerously and fortune was on his side for sure.A risky reverse-paddle not only found its way to the fence but also helped bring about the 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Meanwhile, a boundary off Patel helped Laxman register his 47th Test fifty, his fifth against New Zealand.

The innings had not only helped India come out of the woods but also ensured Laxman maintained his impressive fourth innings record.

Harbhajan reached his ninth Test fifty, his second of the match, soon after with a couple off Martin. It was his third Test fifty against New Zealand. He has four against Australia.The duo was handling the Kiwi bowling with ease, and it clearly suggested that India precarious position earlier in the innings had more to do with their own batsmen than the New Zealand bowlers.

After 70 overs (at lunch), the home team had made 164 for six, for an overall lead of 192.

Post-lunch session: (27 overs, 91 runs, 2 wickets)

The first run in the second session, a single by Harbhajan off Vettori, helped raised the 100-run partnership for the seventh wicket.Two overs later, Harbhajan smashed Vettori to the mid-off boundaries to help the Indian lead cross the 200-run mark.And another boundary (again off Vettori) over extra cover this time helped him reach his highest score in Test cricket, surpassing the feat achieved in the first innings at Motera (when he scored 69).

The new ball was taken in the 81st over. However, it didn't help New Zealand much.Both the batsmen continued piling on the runs, thereby adding to the visitor's cup of woes, their seventh-wicket partnership yielding the home team 163 runs - a record for the wicket against New ZealandWhen on 93, Harbhajan was put down by Martin off his own bowling. To be fair to the bowler it was a difficult chance. But it reiterated the fact that Harbhajan had been extremely fortunate in the course of his innings.

However, just as Laxman was closing in on what would have been his 17th Test ton, umpire Steve Davis adjudged Laxman leg before.His resolute 253-ball 91 was inclusive of nine hits to the fence.Zaheer Khan survived only a ball, before Davis raised his finger again. Daniel Vettori had struck twice in successive balls to give New Zealand some much-needed breakthrough. 

Harbhajan though managed to reach his maiden Test ton, reaching the landmark with a huge six wide of long-off off Vettori. It was the 100th hundred for India in the second innings.He celebrated the same with yet another maximum, this time off Patel, the hit also helping India reach the 250-run mark.

After 97 overs (at tea), the home team had made 255 for eight, for an overall lead of 283.

Post-tea session:

India: (11 runs, 5.4 overs, 2 wickets)

Harbhajan was dismissed soon after tea.He scored a 193-ball 115, a knock that was inclusive of 11 bounadries and three maximums, before Ross Taylor  had him caught by Walting short fine leg to pick up his first Test wicket.

Taylor's second came two overs later, when he had S Sreesanth (4) caught behind.And after 102.4 overs, the home team eventually folded up for 266, having been 15 for five at one stage.That helped set New Zealand a target of 294 in a maximum of 24 overs. To say it was an impossible task would have been an understatement.

New Zealand: (22 runs, 10 overs, 1 wicket)

Zaheer Khan struck in the first over in New Zealand's second innings

The left-arm seamer trapped Tim McIntosh (0) leg before.It was a second successive batting failure for the New Zealand opener, with him bagging an unwanted pair. And on both the occasions, he fell to Zaheer.However, Brendon McCullum (11 not out) and Bradley-John Walting (2 not out) ensured there was no further damage before the match ended to its eventual result an hour before the schedule close of play.

The final over was bowled by the Indian captain, MS Dhoni.

After 10 overs the visitors, chasing 295 to win, had made 22 for one.

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