Jun 20 2009
India’s Reset History in New Zealand!
India did not have the best of starts on the tour to New Zealand. The ghost of the tour past threatened to lurk around even as players appeared in a hurry to get rid of the cobwebs of that rather despicable tour. But by the time India were done touring, few records were left to be straightened as the four decade old story was given its fitting burial, or rather, revival.
Twenty20 – Starting Problems
There were many former Indian cricketers that argued that the lack of a tour match would severely affect the team’s chances to change their dismal record abroad. And the result of the two Twenty20 matches seemed to suggest so. For the first ICC World Twenty20 champions, it was an embarrassment at Christchurch.
Contrasting innings from New Zealand’s blazing batsman-cum-wicket keeper, Brendon McCullum, ensured that India would fail to get a footing early on on the tour. McCullum himself described his innings from the first match as uncharacteristically ugly. But few would argue with the value of that knock as well as the one that followed therafter.
While the Indians went berserk and appeared in too much of a hurry, McCullum played a rather slow, cautious, even tedious innings that in the end, proved the difference between the two sides. India had little going for them after the top order batsmen disappeared to rather injudicious stroke play and Suresh Raina was left to pick up the pieces even as India found themselves going nowhere at 101 for seven. Yet Raina’s sixty-one brought a little more respectability to India’s first innings on tour but it was not enough as McCullum stitched slow and steady partnerships, first with Martin Guptill and then Ross Taylor to complete the rather facile rout.
India still had the opportunity to bounce back in the Twenty20 version with another match scheduled in Wellington. But while the batsmen adopted a more cautious approach, the failings from the first match were too many to shake off. India struggled and until the forty-five run partnership between the confident Yuvraj Singh and a rather scratchy innings from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a little help from Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja in the end, India still appeared to have come up short on the target setting front.
That inference was validated for pretty much of the New Zealand innings that relied this time on a more typical McCullum knock to steer them to victory. It appeared smooth sailing for the hosts with McCullum once again forcing forceful partnership first with his opening partner Jesse Ryder and then, a more sturdy one with Taylor.
But just when it appeared that the hosts had it good for the taking, Irfan Pathan struck a deadly blow, twice in the eighteenth over, removing the established Taylor and picking Jacob Oram for naught. That wobbled the hosts’ plans and when it went down to the wire with them needing twelve off the final over, McCullum made his second half century in two matches more flamboyant to win it off the final ball in sensational fashion.
ODIs – Making Amends, Creating History
New Zealand had trounced the world champions of the Twenty20 game. Local hopes soared that they would be a match in the one day game as well. But the ODI’s proved quite the different story as India packed a punch even as rain marred more than one contest.
Virender Sehwag flattered to deceive in the first ODI but it was his impetus in the first two games that set the ball rolling. While India won the rain curtailed contest comprehensively in Napier, Wellington saw Sehwag display his fury in another half century while Sachin Tendulkar signaled that he was in a mood to make the opposition pay. That though was all that fans would have a glimpse of as the second ODI was called off after three rain interruptions put paid to efforts to get the match going. But Sehwag’s belligerence in the first match and the 110 run quick fire partnership between Dhoni and Raina put India in a commanding position at 273 at the end of the thirty-eight overs on offer. Martin Guptill provided the only solace for the hosts with his sixty-four but what New Zealand lacked was an innings of splendid acceleration that could have made a match of the situation. As it turned out, Harbhajan Singh feasted on the fare on offer and India won the first ODI by fifty-three runs by the Duckworth Lewis method.
The first full length ODI of the series saw strong performances from the powerhouses of Indian batting. Sachin Tendulkar scored his first century in New Zealand. His 163 was an innings that showed that he has not lost his aggression and if not for a pulled stomach muscle, he could have been pushing the bar for a double century. But more belligerence was to come in the form of Yuvraj Singh’s sixty ball eighty-eight, Dhoni’s sixty-eight and another cameo from Raina to take India to a strong position on 392!
Yet the contest failed to dampen the hosts. They began with a hustling 166 run partnership between openers McCullum and Ryder while the latter scored his first ODI century. While the partnership was going strong till the twenty-second over, New Zealand appeared undaunted by the size of the target. The aggression proved a pounding and New Zealand were in a real mood not to let the series slip away so easily. But by the thirty-fifth over, New Zealand had lost seven wickets with just 218 on board and the challenge appeared extinguished for good. That was until Tim Southee and Kyle Mills came to the party after Ian Butler, recalled after four years for the series tried his luck and got out. Mills’ half century and Southee’s twenty-four meant that New Zealand found a rather dynamic batting pair that exploded onto the scene with an eighty-three run partnership off just seven overs to set the cat amongst the pigeons and forcing the Indians to stick as keenly to their task as they did when Ryder was in full flow. But eventually the capitulation came as did India’s victory by fifty-eight runs.
The teams returned to Hamilton with two matches to go and the series swinging in India’s favour 2-0. But rain and Sehwag ensured the hosts would not even have a chance in the fourth ODI. Ryder and McCullum once again provided the impetus and Peter McGlashan provided the finishing touch for New Zealand to finish strongly on 270, or so they thought. While Ryder missed his half century, McCullum’s seventy-seven could not be followed up by the middle order who fell to India’s fast medium bowlers, including Ishant Sharma who made his comeback after missing out the first few games through injury.
But the demolition squad was at its operative best for India. Virender Sehwag notched up India’s fastest ODI century, in just sixty balls with a thumping six while Gautam Gambhir provided the quiet acceleration at the other end. Their resolute unbeaten partnership was all that India would require to complete the 3-0 rout as Messrs. Duckworth and Lewis decided the fate of the game as rain continued to dog the ODI series.
The final game of the ODI series became of academic interest but it was also one where New Zealand scored a consolation victory. It was an anti climatic finish for India in the series as New Zealand bowlers extracted swing and Jesse Ryder produced a miserly spell while picking up three wickets to end a desolate Indian innings for 149 in an innings that lasted just thirty-seven overs. Only Sehwag and Rohit Sharma managed to touch the forty mark while the rest of the line up paled into insignificance. It was not a difficult feat thereafter for the hosts who rested heavily on Ryder’s belligerence for a half century while Guptill found his niche as well. It still meant a 3-1 victory for India. But bigger challenges awaited both teams.
‘Test’ing road Turns Triumphant
If Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar sprung immediately to mind when thinking of the ODI series in New Zealand, the Tests presented two other stars who stood out from the rest. While it was team effort that ensured that India won their first Test series in New Zealand in forty-one years, Gautam Gambhir was clearly the most outstanding batsmen while Harbhajan Singh showed that foreign terrain and singular responsibility were not deterrents as he picked up sixteen wickets to become the highest wicket taker of the series that went successfully in India’s favour by a 1-0 margin. But victory did not come easy for team India and a skip down memory lane will reflect that.
Cheer in Hamilton
India wasted no opportunity in Seddon Park to put the hosts on the back foot. Shutting them out on day one itself in their first innings, India put up their strongest performance on tour to record their first Test win in New Zealand in thirty-three years.
New Zealand found themselves on the ropes losing as many as six for sixty after only the first session of play. As hard as it is for any team to recover from that stage, New Zealand did have their comeback with Jesse Ryder leading the way and finding the solitary figure in his skipper Daniel Vettori keeping him company. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma broke New Zealand’s back and Munaf Patel completed the rites. But the partnership of 186 between the duo provided an innings of contrast. While the top order crumbled to disciplined Indian bowling, the duo showed how to thwart the Indians.
Because of their respective centuries, New Zealand ended respectably on 279 in their first innings. But for this strong Indian line up, little would come in the way. Sachin Tendulkar provided the biggest impact innings with his forty-second Test century, making a phenomenal 160 but it was the doughty half centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid that really allowed India to comfortably surpass the New Zealand’s first innings score. By the time the 112 partnership between Dhoni and Tendulkar bore fruit with Zaheer Khan smacking his lips with a Test half century to his name, India had piled on a mammoth 520 runs in their first innings, and a lead of 241 that sounded the death knell.
There was more misery in store for New Zealand as they lost three wickets before the end of the third day’s play with only seventy-five on board. After Guptill’s brave near half century and Daniel Flynn’s sixty-seven in trying circumstances, McCullum tried to get the New Zealand innings out of the hole with a gritty eighty-eight. But it meant that India had a rather modest target of thirty-nine runs, one that they could not possibly fail.
Grit in Napier
Riding high after the rare victory, the Indians were rather rudely brought down to earth. India would have had visions of déjàvu and a dream start watching the hosts in the doldrums once more in the first innings of the match at three down for twenty-three. But it suddenly began to rain centuries and half centuries and India found themselves rather under prepared to handle the barrage and ended up having to fend for themselves for the rest of the Test under severe duress.
Memories of Hamilton were sidelined firstly by the pair of Ross Taylor and Ryder, who appeared in insatiable form in the series. While Taylor scored his third Test century, Ryder marked his second for the series in two Tests as the duo put on a remarkable 271 run partnership. It was a contrasting way to finish day one but one that would only worsen from an Indian perspective on day two.
A 121 run partnership between Ryder and recalled James Franklin was followed by another fantastic century from Brendon McCullum. Ryder rode his luck and form for the maiden double Test century as New Zealand piled on 619 for nine in their first innings. India had already lost their skipper to a back injury before the match and Virender Sehwag copped the flak as the stand-in skipper for not showing more ingenuity.
The lifeless pitch though provided India with similar conditions as when New Zealand were batting. But the Indian batsmen threw caution to the winds and nearly handed the match to the hosts. Carelessly timed shots proved India’s undoing in the first innings and but for Rahul Dravid’s gritty eighty-three followed up by a near century partnership between Tendulkar, who made forty-nine, and V.V.S. Laxman on seventy-six, India would have looked far less accomplished than at 305 all out during the third day’s play. The ignominy of the follow on could not be avoided though as Dravid faced up for a second time in the day.
But the second innings follow on saw a more responsible Indian batting line up take the field and after the early loss of Sehwag, Gambhir and Dravid put on a resolute 130 run partnership that kept Indian hopes alive as they made better use of the placid pitch. Yet another half century from Dravid proved that the Wall had not lost his touch as far as standing up to the Mr. Reliable tag was concerned. Gambhir showed a completely different side to his batting, one of dogged defense instead of belligerent defiance.
Tendulkar pitched in with a half century and another 100 run partnership in Gambhir’s company for India. But it was Laxman’s confidence about India’s chances and Gambhir’s never-say-die attitude that did the trick in the end. Gambhir batted for a total of eleven hours, scored an uncharacteristic 138 while Laxman responded with a century as well. The duo wore down the New Zealand bowlers to the extent that Vettori was more concerned about the conditions of his bowlers for the third Test once he knew India had cornered defeat to eke out a draw.
Putting the Plugs, Pushing the Wheels in Wellington
India pulled off the Houdini act in Napier and that gave them confidence enough to push for another win in wind prone Wellington. Basin Reserve saw the return of Dhoni as captain but even he could not escape criticism in the end for what many in cricket circles believe, let New Zealand off.
The match began on an even keel and despite Tendulkar’s half century, it was not until Harbhajan joined Dhoni at the crease with a seventy-nine run partnership that the momentum began to swing India’s way. Sixty for Harbhajan and more fireworks from Zaheer meant that India has dodged a dicey situation at 190 for five, taking 185 runs in the final session to make amends on day one and reap the rewards on day two.
New Zealand once again found themselves in perishable mode and Zaheer Khan made the most of the opportunities, bowling accurate line and length and teasing the batsmen with swing. The reward for India was almost immediate. A toothless effort from New Zealand saw only Ross Taylor stand like an odd man out with a forty-two in an otherwise rather sorry scorecard that showed just 197 runs for New Zealand, and a difficult comeback in the match given India’s total of 379.
India took full advantage of the 182 run lead by allowing Gambhir to run riot after his restrained innings in the second Test. Once again Dravid featured prominently in a 170 run stand with Gambhir that signaled that India’s first Test series victory in forty-one years was not far. What remained to be determined was the margin of victory and this is where some have held contention that India had waited too long to gain a 600 run lead when a fourth innings target of much less would have had the same devastating effect on the hosts. New Zealand whimpered under the pressure as Harbhajan Singh picked up four wickets to take his tally to sixteen for the series.
But New Zealand’s resistance paid efforts in that India had to make do with a 1-0 victory. Martin Guptill and James Franklin missed individual half centuries by a run but it was Ross Taylor who stood between India and victory that never came. At eight down, the skies opened up in mercy for the hosts and with no further play possible, New Zealand managed to escape with a draw, not quite the Houdini effect but one that showed what a little more gumption could have done for the hosts.
The Indian team was a boisterous bunch and they had every reason to be. They had stamped their authority as one of the three top teams in the world in the first Test, fought their own self-created monsters in the second and nearly drove home a stupendous victory in the third. They managed to overcome the early hiccups on tour through the Twenty20 matches to sound out a warning in the ODIs, pushing themselves to the second spot behind South Africa, and have redeemed themselves from the last tour that really proved one of the lowest in Indian history. More importantly, they did not ride on any single individual effort, although there were some phenomenal individual performances including those from Dravid and Tendulkar, but rather fashioned victory through all round team contributions. From the depths of low to the virtually
unsustainable highs, India have conquered another terrain abroad and must now set their eyes on loftier goals.
