New Zealand v India, 3rd Test

CricInfo Match Report
2-6 January 1999

New Zealand are 283 for 5 at stumps on the first day of the Third Test against India, Roger Twose making 87 and Craig McMillan 92. Duane Pettet reports:

New Zealand are sitting in the box seat after day one of the third and final Bank of New Zealand Series Test, though not in as good a position as it once threatened to be during the afternoon.

The least surprising moment of the day came when Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin again won the toss and chose to bowl first. In the lead up to the Test, there were conflicting reports as to how it would play throughout the match and whether it would last the distance, with those in the know were touting that it was a good toss to lose.

That didn't ring true after just five deliveries of the match however, as paceman Javagal Srinath tipped the game on its side. Youthful opener Matthew Bell, after a double failure at Wellington, was looking to stake his claim for the future, but it wasn't to be today. Srinath got him with a beauty after just two balls on strike, when bowling from wider on the creaseline angling into the batsman, forced Bell to square around and fiddle at one outside off stump, duely collecting the edge through to wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia.

Bell is in serious danger of emulating a former New Zealand player, Ken Rutherford, who as a fresh-faced youngster was thrown into the cauldron of the West Indies in 1985 and managed to return a meagure 12 runs in his first 7 innings. Bell, may be better off letting more experienced opening partner namesake, Matthew Horne, face the first delivery of the game to get his eye in at the opposite end. Whilst having been dismissed by useful balls so far in the series, 4 runs in 3 innings will bound to be frustrating the selectors who have heavily invested in this talent below international level.

In strode New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, no doubt chipper after the bravely fought first Test victory, but anxious to wrap up the series and lead his side to an unprecedented six consecutive home wins on Kiwi soil. His day didn't look very bright after losing the toss for about as many times in a row as Azharuddin has won, and coming to the crease inside the first over. It got worse when he departed three balls later, leaning forward with bat close to pad covering in defence, only to see an inside edge pop up off the front pad and rebound up to the eagerly awaiting livewire in close, Rahul Dravid at chest height. New Zealand 0/2 and India were on target to gain some revenge for their collapse of 16/4 on the first morning of the second Test.

Recalled eight-Test warhorse Roger Twose, taking the place of Nathan Astle who is out for the remainder of the Indian series with a broken bone in his left hand, joined Matthew Horne, who had watched the early disaster unfold at the other end without having faced a ball.

With the pitch showing through the lightest tinge of green and conducive atmospheric conditions to swing, India had the change to force home the advantage. However, with the best of intentions, they couldn't manage to snare quick follow-up breakthroughs, though not without many close chances going begging. Twose got an early let off, edging Srinath low towards Ajay Jadeja at third slip, but he failed to snaffle up the chance.

A few overs later, Twose was to gift another sharp chance to the slips cordon, where Jadeja this time cut back low and to his right from third slip, failing to grasp in front of Ganguly falling away behind him from second slip. To add insult to injury, it sailed away to the rope for four.

The pairing of opening bowlers, Srinath, with well guided pace coupled with bounce and subtle seam movement both ways, and Venkatesh Prasad, with troubling outswing in his first spell, had the New Zealand pair well wrapped up and struggling to survive. Srinath had learnt to pitch the ball up fuller more often than in the previous game, and was duely testing Horne and Twose out.

However, the batsmen survived the initial onslaught and were soon relieved of pressure as debutant Delhi bowler Robin Singh, and fourth seamer Saurav Ganguly were soon brought into the attack in tandem. This was after a brief warmup over by leg spinner Anil Kumble, searching for a bit of damp turn, which didn't present itself.

From looking to be a horrendous batsman's nightmare, the pitch suddenly seemed somewhat placid as the medium paced pair did little to cause concern. With Azharuddin going more defensive with field settings closer to the luncheon interval, Horne and Twose grafted their way safely to the break, picking runs off the loose deliveries and safely defending or leaving on their off stumps.

In the two overs Robin Singh bowled after lunch, he suddenly sprung into life and showed promise, beating Horne all ends up repeatedly but failed to claim his wicket. After that it was all downhill as New Zealand started to step up a gear, as it was becoming apparent the pitch was improving as the day wore on, and India's bowling became looser and fielding slacker. Horne dominated the partnership with a high proportion of boundaries, particularly through square on either side of the wicket, and made his way through to his second Test half century in his 13th Test. However he soon fell to an injudicious stroke, trying to hook from well outside off stump from Srinath, only succeeding in dragging it down onto his stumps, departing for 63 with 10 fours.

Craig McMillan joined Twose and went on the offensive from the start. He was particularly severe on Ganguly in the 51st over of the innings, where the bowler had clearly lost the plot after having an initial warning for running on the pitch, during an otherwise containing spell. Three slashed fours behind point - the first two sailing over the slips, the third crashed through square from a rank long hop - and McMillan was quickly catching up to Twose. The last two boundaries also being called no-balls for overstepping by quite some margin, followed by two more immediately after that. Ganguly was then warned a second time for running on the pitch - third strike and he would be out for the innings.

22 runs off the over however, and the damage had already been done. The next over from Singh was more of the same, as this time the sedate Twose decided to get in on the act, and picked off three boundaries in the over to advance to his fourth Test 50. 102 runs in the session for just the fall of Horne and New Zealand were gaining control.

After tea McMillan continued the unrelenting charge, chasing after all and sundry. He belted 12 off a Srinath over shortly before he brought up his seventh 50+ score in just his tenth match, in 62 balls, including 10 boundaries.

Then in the midst of a reversed roles battle continued on from the second Test between Tendulkar, the bowler, and McMillan, the batsman, the batting pair brought up the record 4th wicket partnership in Tests for New Zealand against India, passing the 125 mark set by John Wright and Mark Greatbatch at Christchurch in 1989-90.

Eventually McMillan overtook Twose, and seemed set to be first to bring up his ton, until he went for one too many, showing no self-restraint in trying to sweep a shorter ball from Kumble outside off stump, and only succeeding in bringing a big top edge, which Prasad took well running towards square leg.

Adam Parore came in and plodded away quietly while Twose tried to re-establish some momentum lost after McMillan's dismissal, as the Indian bowling and fielding effort perked up ever-so-slightly towards the end of the day's play, which itself had run almost 40 minutes over time thanks to slow over rates.

Twose's vital marathon stay finally ended when he lost concentration in the penultimate over of the day as the three-over old new ball did the trick, with Prasad finding the edge through to Mongia. He again fell short of a possible maiden Test century, as he did against Zimbabwe three years earlier when he gave his wicket away on 94, making 87 off 274 balls, including 13 fours, in a stay of over six hours at the crease.

Nightwatchman Paul Wiseman saw through the final over and a bit with Parore to still see New Zealand well positioned at stumps. Though both teams at varying stages throughout the day will no doubt have felt they could've been much better towards their respective camps.

Day 2: India shaky despite Tendulkar, Dravid fireworks

Play restarted on a very warm and humid second morning, with Adam Parore and nightwatchman Paul Wiseman watchful to begin with, having trouble negotiating the sizeable movement in the air the still-fresh second new ball was receiving. Venkatesh Prasad was the key exponent early on, but was frustrated unable to grab the breakthrough.

Wiseman finally got his first runs of the series, after 46 scoreless deliveries including a pair in the second Test, via a streaky boundary trying to pull out of a shot outside off stump, only succeeding in deflecting it wide of the keeper on the leg side. Two balls later Wiseman should have been gone after gaining an edge driving outside off, but for Prasad's new ball partner, Javagal Srinath, adding to the alarmingly high tally of chances put down in the slips by India.

At long last Prasad gained due reward, when Parore's similar attempt to drive outside off failed, edging to twelfth man Venkat Laxman at third slip, substituting for captain Mohammad Azharuddin who was off the field for a long amount of time both yesterday and this morning. A useful partnership of 33 came to an end, New Zealand 311/6.

Robin Singh came into the attack and benefitted from the assisting bowling conditions, looking a much different bowler from his mediocre self yesterday, and soon snared his first Test wicket. Chris Cairns embarrassed himself when he shouldered arms stretching well forward, only to see a delivery from Singh markedly nip back off the seam and duck behind the extended front pad and clip the top of the off stump.

It wasn't long after for Singh to wait for his second, as Wiseman finally succumbed by edging to Ganguly at first slip, who took it well low to his left. Given the number of different unsuccessful options tried in that fielding position in the two Tests so far, after Sachin Tendulkar was forced off the field leaving a gap in his customary place, it was somewhat of a miracle that a catch was made there.

Wiseman gone for 12 off 52 grafting balls, and a mini-collapse as New Zealand lost 3 wickets for the addition of just 3 runs. Enter danger duo Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori, second Test bogeymen to the Indians after an all-time New Zealand Test record 8th wicket partnership of 137. They ticked things over comfortably until the lunch break, adding 41 runs inside the hour before lunch.

However just 3 balls into the middle session, and Vettori played on to a straighter delivery from Srinath who had toiled away tirelessly throughout the innings and was finally gaining reward. A quick ten runs later the innings was completed, as last man Simon Doull helped a wider ball from Srinath up to Anil Kumble at gully, who this time took the catch with ease, with no repeat of the horrendously simple dropped chance from Cairns in the death throes of the Wellington match. Nash left undefeated for the third straight time of the series with 18*. New Zealand all out for 366, from 0/2 in the first over, a fair effort on a still-helpful track. Srinath finishing with his third 5-wicket bag in Tests.

Indian openers Navjot Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja were quick to punish the loose ball when they came out, but yet another failure for each was soon to come. First Sidhu flashed at a short, rising delivery from Cairns wide outside off stump, only managing to get a nick off the top edge through to wicket-keeper Parore. Sidhu gone for just one.

Then Jadeja, clearly in practice mode ahead of the forthcoming One-Day International series, hit one straight into the midrift of Nash at mid off. Jadeja played the shot with a stance exposing all three stumps to begin with, moved into it trying to loft it over the covers, but it wasn't quite the half-volley he had banked on to despatch. Gone for 12 off only 13 balls, India 17/2.

Sachin Tendulkar came in at number four, leaving Sourav Ganguly down the order this time, joining Dravid for yet another crisis-recovery operation. Tendulkar with his ambitious percentage shots, and Dravid's watertight defence and elegant, wristy on-side strokeplay, set about this task with relative comfort.

No bowler completely escaped the wrath of the impatient Tendulkar particularly harshly punished were Cairns and Vettori, though the latter had bowled well for the larger part, just slackening at erringly-frequent intervals to gift away boundaries. The only one to impress being Nash, bowling a tight line from one end to keep the Indians in check.

Craig McMillan had a dabble not long after tea, relishing the opportunity to resume the personal battle with Tendulkar with both bat and ball. First up was no surprise, a bouncer, and for once Tendulkar saw the lighter side of things with a wide grin beamed straight back at McMillan. But it was to be Dravid who was to ensure the brevity of McMillan's stay at the bowling crease, stroking him effortlessly to all corners of the ground for four fine boundaries in two overs.

In between times, Tendulkar once again lost his wicket in what was the most controversial moment of the Test, just when he was looking well set for a large score, even if it had been a largely fortuitous innings to that point. Local umpire Doug Cowie was in the hot seat, after being in very little action in Hamilton, and none visible whatsoever in his last appointment, the fog-ridden abandoned Test between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Faisalabad.

After taking three boundaries off Nash's first three balls of an over, the fifth ball saw Tendulkar struck high up on the pad shuffling across towards off stump, but given not out. However from the very next delivery, Nash got an almost identical ball to shoot through a lot quicker and flatter, and this time an affirmative decision was forthcoming. Replays showed it was a dubious dismissal, as it tended to head further towards the leg side than the first one. Tendulkar's 67, his 20th Test half century, coming off a mere 93 balls, including 9 boundaries and a lofted six over long on from Vettori. The partnership with Dravid worth 109.

Dravid then sought to guide India to the close by taking over the dominating role, as new partner Ganguly looked totally uncomfortable right from the start. With Doull gaining pronounced away swing from the left-hander it was all proving a bit too much as he groped and fended outside off stump often. Though he hung around grimly for a while, even managing a lofted six over long off from Vettori, it couldn't delay the inevitable as Doull had his number. Yet another outswinger brought the downfall, edging it to Stephen Fleming at first slip for 11.

Azharuddin struggled too, taking 21 balls to get off the mark - almost getting himself run out in the process, going for a quick single from a nervous push to midwicket. He fell just before the close, wafting at a wider ball outside off stump from Cairns edging through to Fleming again. Azharuddin's uncertain manner at the crease during his short stay, may have been attributable to the back problems he had been suffering. But in any case his dismissal was still a vital one that wrested back the psychological advantage to New Zealand so close to the end of the day.

Strangely absent from the bowling crease today, especially when Cairns and Vettori were going at five an over between them, was off-spinner Paul Wiseman. Seemingly the 'forgotten man' in New Zealand's calculations, he was not called upon in the first innings of the second Test at all either. Fleming could do worse than to try bringing him into the attack specifically for Dravid tomorrow, who he unsettled noticeably at Wellington and took his scalp in the second innings.

At stumps Dravid sat just seven runs short of of his third Test century, but it must be in the back of his mind that he has already been dismissed in the 'nervous nineties' four times in his first 24 Tests - a record that could soon rival that of Steve Waugh, the reluctant new Test 'record' holder with nine. Mongia is there with Dravid, yet to score as India trail by 160 runs with 5 wickets in hand.

Day 3: Dravid magnificient, as Karnataka steadies India

Nayan Mongia didn't last long after the resumption of play, scooping a Dion Nash delivery straight up to Matthew Horne at point, falling for just 7. It has not been a series for the wicket-keepers, either with the gloves or particularly with the bat, with his opposite number Adam Parore the only one to manage a double figure score just once.

Two overs later Rahul Dravid brought up his third Test century, all three away from home soil, with a forceful cut through point of a rising Nash ball. The ton coming up off 167 balls, 232 minutes, and containing 17 boundaries.

Anil Kumble made a duck as he tried to drive through the line off a Simon Doull delivery that seamed every so slightly away to gain the edge through to Parore. Following over from the previous day, it meant India had lost 3 wickets in the space of just 16 runs and at 211/7, still 155 runs in arrears, they were facing down the barrel of a fairly large first innings deficit, even despite the fact that Dravid had virtually set up a campsite for himself at the wicket.

Javagal Srinath joined him and struggled early on just to survive, but as he discovered more shots up his sleeve, so too did the chances come flowing. First he was almost dismissed by a similarly suicidal quick single as taken by his captain the evening before, pushing one out to Wiseman at midwicket, only to see the throw just fail to connect with the bowler's stumps as he was well short of his crease.

Next over it was perhaps the most costly lost opportunity of the day for New Zealand, with Doull's outswing bringing the rare sight of Dravid's edge to be struck, only for Daniel Vettori to spill the chance coming back across from second slip in front of Stephen Fleming at first slip, when it clearly looked to be the captain's catch.

Craig McMillan again got another go, but didn't bowl nearly as many bouncers as in previous spells this series - not that it stopped Srinath from pulling a shorter ball firmly to the deep backward square boundary and follow up with a wide-mouthed smile back at the bowler, showing most of the Indian batsmen knew exactly what kind of respect to treat the nuisance with.

An even first session, with India pulling things back well after a shaky start, but the second session was soon to be belong completely to them as Dravid and Srinath stepped up another gear, and the Kiwi bowling effort visibly wilted under the muggy Hamilton heat.

Though the fast run scoring was kept up, Srinath was still giving ample chances to the New Zealand fielders to dismiss him, but they repeatedly declined the offer. A fine glance one off the pads down leg side just eluded a valiantly diving Parore, a thick edge to Bell at third slip was put down as he took it on the wrist instead of in the hands. Then also a genuine edge went straight between the keeper and Fleming standing wider and flat-footed at first slip, and all they could do was haplessly stare at each other deflecting blame. Srinath had more lives than the cast of the musical 'Cats'.

Dravid soldiered on at the other end with a wide array of crashing cover drives and wristy flicks through midwicket, each one seemingly better than the previous, as they all raced to the rope with the most efficient timing.

The long overdue introduction of Wiseman's soon saw the departure of Srinath finally however, chipping one firmly straight to Roger Twose at short midwicket, gone for 76. It was his 4th Test half century, and new highest score bettering his previous best effort of 60 against the West Indies, which included 11 fours and a swept six over midwicket from Wiseman. The pair put on 144 for the 8th wicket, just beating the old Indian Test record against New Zealand of 143 set by Bapu Nadkarni and Farokh Engineer at Madras in 1964-65.

Venkatesh Prasad joined Dravid and it was same old, same old story, as the New Zealand bowling attack looked down and out and frustrated unable to clean up the tail. Prasad batted with comfort, knowing what to leave and playing down a good straight line, collecting runs with ease racing up to an unbeaten 30 in good time, trying to help Dravid creep towards a possible double ton that loomed on the horizon.

But it was Dravid that cracked first, with fatigue getting the better of him in the end. Cairns gave him a short wide delivery outside off stump that he had normally hammered through point before, but this time failed to control it fully and keep it down like the other times, playing it straight to McMillan at gully.

An exquisite innings of 190 had come to an end, falling just short of the Indian record Test score in New Zealand of present captain Mohammad Azharuddin's 192 at Auckland in 1989-90. His innings contained a high proportion of hits to the rope, 31 in all, liberally to all corners of the ground.

Whilst near-flawless throughout, if one had to pick something that stood out from the rest of the innings, it would have to be the powerful back foot cover drives, some of the best you could ever hope to see. It was the highest individual score by anyone in a Test at Hamilton, eclipsing Mark Greatbatch's effort of 133 against Pakistan in 1992-93.

Just two balls later, Cairns finally dealt to the innings, finished with an expensive 4-wicket haul, with Robin Singh giving a simple edge to Fleming at first slip, gone for a duck in his first Test innings. India ending up with a handy 50 run lead thanks to 205 runs from the last three stands, after at one stage it looked as though they would be fortunate to concede only that many as a deficit themselves.

India had 16 overs to try and chip out a the odd top order wicket and force home the advantage they had stolen away from New Zealand throughout the day. Oddly though, Srinath didn't open up the bowling attack - from either end! Those unexplained honours went to Prasad and Singh, but both were woeful, bowling mostly far too wide to be threatening, and picked off with regularity.

Srinath finally did come on to bowl five overs into the innings, after having put on a new pair of boots while fielding down at fine leg during the previous over. Conjecture bandied about was that he had simply forgotten to replace his batting boots for his bowling ones and simply could not bowl in them.

He immediately gave a much sharper edge to the attack, but by that time it seemed too late as Matthew Bell, who had looked decidedly uneasy at the crease after managing a mere four runs in his first three Test innings, had got off to a much better start against the gentler medium pace openers.

Matthew Horne meanwhile, was his same impetuous self of late, and had got off to a brisk start. He showed scant regard for the leg side trap in the deep set for him, and was highly fortunate to get away with a streaky top- edged six from a Prasad bouncer that just went fine enough and away from Singh at long leg and over the shortish boundary.

The opening pair saw New Zealand safely through to stumps, wiping off all but five runs of their first innings deficit without loss. On a pitch that is still providing assistance to bowlers who bend their back and put the effort in, as shown by a good percentage of deliveries still able to regularly beat the edge, it is difficult to tell just how many runs exactly may be competitive for a last innings chase. Especially when the relatively weak bowling attacks and questionable reliability of each side's top order batting is factored into the equation. It threatens to go down the same path as the Wellington Test, with perhaps no side able to establish a clear advantage until very late in the piece.

Day 4: New Zealand pushing series out of Indian reach

India were left rueing what might have been after having New Zealand's second innings teetering just 39 runs in front with six wickets in hand, on the fourth day's play of the third and final Bank of New Zealand Series Test match.

The first session's play was quiet but nonetheless intriguing as the first hour saw a war of attrition as opener Matthew Bell desperately tried to bat himself into form. He lost his partner Matthew Horne (26) early on however, undone by a beauty by Srinath that angled in to the right-hander then seaming away to find the edge through to keeper Nayan Mongia, only managing to add one to his overnight score.

Stephen Fleming walked in sitting on a pair, but looked comfortable right from the start, opening up his account with a lovely straight drive to level the scores. The pair ground out the sharp-looking attack of Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble in rotation. Bell finally managed to score his first runs of the day with a tickle from Kumble to the fine leg boundary, after toiling away for 51 balls and 74 minutes. He went 54 balls and 82 minutes scoreless in all, just 12 minutes short of the record held by countryman Martin Snedden against Australia at Wellington in 1989-90.

But no sooner had Bell got underway, then he saw his captain's departure with his stumps rattled by Prasad after a careless moment of indecision. Fleming (18) was stuck in no man's land as shaped to drive but then chose to pull out of it at the last moment, resulting in him dragging it on from outside off stump - not an uncommon mode of dismissal in this series.

Roger Twose was greeted to the wicket soon after by Sachin Tendulkar warming up ready to have a go with his gentle leg breaks. As in the first innings of the Test at Wellington, it was to prove an inspired bowling change by Mohammad Azharuddin as Tendulkar embarrassed more New Zealand batsmen.

After first resisting temptation and playing cautiously against the raft of floated full tosses delivered on a platter by Tendulkar, Twose suddenly decided to have a go, getting off the mark by despatching one to the midwicket boundary. However next ball he was to be undone by the surprise ball - the one that actually touched the pitch. It seemed to be a gift cover drive, but Twose strangely decided to stay back to it and try and defend out the now-yorker length delivery. He only succeeded in being struck on the back pad by one turning back into him and was sent on his way by umpire Doug Cowie after a long initial look.

The little master struck again in his next over, this time removing the staunch Bell in similar fashion just two overs before lunch. Bell attempted to sweep a slowly flighted delivery from Tendulkar, only to find himself through the shot too early, and struck flush on the pad by the full toss. Cowie much quicker to adjudicate this time as it looked to be heading straight on. Tendulkar had 2-12 in a bizarre three over spell and New Zealand were on the brink of disaster at 89/4 at the break, scoring just 44 runs for the loss of the top four batsmen in two hours.

Tendulkar resumed after lunch to the two fresh batsmen, Craig McMillan and Adam Parore, but was this time met with a more positive approach as it was clear both had been given the stern word from the leaders of the team to take the game to India, as the defensive effort of the first session had failed miserably.

And pay off it did. Tendulkar was promptly hit out of the attack and when Srinath was called in to replace him, the impetus of play had switched to be firmly behind the New Zealanders. Srinath, in yet another of his hot and cold spells during the series, and Kumble were made to look very ordinary by the dashing McMillan and the solid Parore, who had up to this point struggled to steal a run in either Test.

McMillan raced to his third successive half century of the series in just 53 balls, including a barrage of nine boundaries, mostly through the covers.

Prasad came back into the attack at long last to relieve the weary Srinath, and produced his best spell of the series as he suddenly came onto a good length, and troubled both batsmen with good seam movement away from the bat. He created a couple of near caught and bowled chances and was generally luckless.

Robin Singh then replaced him and he too enjoyed his turn as he found some late swing with the old ball. By rights he deserved to have McMillan's wicket when on 74, as he beat him just four balls before tea, only for the extended horror of slip fielding in this Test continue as Srinath grasped at it but went through the hands and away to the boundary. Replays showed Srinath moved partially to his left early, but Mongia would been in a better position to take it had he extended himself. What a resting fast bowler, of all the possible options, was doing fielding at first slip in the first place however is a question best left to be asked of the captain later.

It didn't prove to be an overly costly miss though, as second time around Mongia did the job from a finer nick off a near-identical delivery soon after tea. McMillan departing for 84 off just 103 entertaining deliveries, containing 14 fours. He had enjoyed a consistent and profitable series with scores of 24, 79*, 92 and now 84, but must've been annoyed at missing out on yet another good chance to raise three figures. Another in a long line of partnership records broken in the series was made, as his time with Parore in the middle netted 140 runs, passing the old 5th wicket best against India of 119, made by Graham Dowling and Keith Thomson at Christchurch in 1967-68.

Just as New Zealand had pulled the contest back to even terms, than they looked to throw it away again. Parore fell on the same score, having only just brought up his 12th Test 50, top-edging a pull shot from Kumble with Singh making a good catching running in far from the deep backward square boundary. New Zealand led by 175 with four wickets in hand, and the game had swung towards India's camp once again.

New batsmen Chris Cairns and Dion Nash looked assured from the start, and played as confidently as their predecessors. Nash in particular frustrating the Indians, having not been dismissed once in this series to date. The introduction of the new ball helped little, as the shots raced away from the Indian fielders as rapidly as their hopes of sharing the series.

Cairns brought up his 14th Test half century with a mighty hook from outside off stump that sailed high over square leg for six from the bowling of Srinath. For the remaining overs things crept along relatively quietly with the pair keen to safely see New Zealand through to stumps with no further loss. They able to do so with little worry as a few last over bowling changes were made with no impact.

Nash sat four runs short of another half ton at the close of play with Cairns on 52, as New Zealand lead by 273 with 4 wickets in hand. Given Stephen Fleming's remarks at the press conference after stumps on day three, India will have to come out urgent tomorrow morning and wrap up the New Zealand innings smartly to have any hope of victory. He made it clear they would bat on for as long as possible to ensure the series victory and quashed any hopes of a possible declaration to go actively searching for a sixth consecutive home victory.

Day 5: Easy hundreds for Ganguly and Dravid

The lack of early breakthroughs by India ensured the third and final Test match at Hamilton ended in a predictable draw, with New Zealand taking the Bank of New Zealand Series 1-0.

Prior to the start of play the New Zealand management had stated they wouldn't entertain thoughts of a pre-lunch declaration to give the Indians hope for a possible mad dash for glory. The ball was thus firmly in tourists' court to breathe any life into the Test. But as Chris Cairns and Dion Nash picked up where they left off on the previous evening, their chances tapered by the minute.

The pair were able to easily work the Indian bowlers around scoring at a fluent rate, interspersed with frequent boundaries, making a mockery of predictions from the groundsman, Ian McKendry, prior to the match, that the pitch would break up dramatically and turn square from day three and become difficult to play on.

The century partnership between the pair and Nash's 3rd Test 50, his second of the series, were milestones achieved early on in proceedings. It was only a mix-up in running between the wickets that finally saw the demise of the partnership, a feature that had, up to that point, been so impressive from the pair.

Cairns firmly struck a Kumble delivery through mid off, but Rahul Dravid swooped in from extra cover to take it on the first bounce and fire back a radar-guided through back above the stumps at the bowler's end all in one sweeping motion, where Kumble removed the bails. It was Cairns' call, which he made but then hesitated part way down the pitch without relating this to his partner. Nash scrambled back but his dive was no use as the third umpire adjudicated him well short.

Nash was a little stunned and visibly upset at his dismissal for 63, showing the true competitive nature he took with him in every moment of a game. On the 'bright' side, it enabled him to secure a numerical batting average for the series after having not been dismissed in three innings prior, a princely 174 and top for either team by a country mile.

Daniel Vettori then joined Cairns in milking the bowling further as Indian hopes and heads in the field dropped. Just prior to lunch the pitch started to rear up a few awkward bouncing deliveries, many sharply pinging up into the body of the batsmen, requiring quick fending away often chipped high up into open spaces close to the wicket on both sides. Cairns streakily moved into the aptly-named 'nervous nineties', as suddenly it looked more different wicket to bat on. It proved to be a misnomer however, as the pitch settled and Cairns went to his 2nd Test century in 166 balls, including 13 boundaries and two huge sixes.

Only six runs later from the Cantabrian and he was lucky to survive any further, deceived by a slower ball from Prasad, trying to push it forward to the open space close in on the off side and set off for a quick single. However it bounced back up from the pitch and into his body and the laws of physics were defied as sharp back spin saw it roll into off stump firmly, only for neither bail to dislodge. Cairns was clueless as to where the ball had gone until too late, but the superglue he had applied to the stumps earlier in the morning obviously did the trick to save him.

Cairns rode his luck and smashed Kumble for a boundary and a massive six straight down the ground off consecutive balls in the next over. He raced towards, and finally managed, his highest Test and first-class score, passing his 120 against Zimbabwe at Auckland in 1995-96.

He again perhaps shouldn't have made it that far though, as more comedy in the field came as Navjot Sidhu made a meal of what should've been a simple run out from square leg. Vettori pushed a ball from Ganguly just forward of him and both batsmen set off for the run, only for each to stop a third of the way down the pitch and with both seemingly stranded, Sidhu fumbled a shocker partly over-running it. Both batsmen then scrambled through for the run and in the end when he finally sent the throw in, it was to the least dangerous end anyway.

New Zealand went into lunch leading by 389, with still no sign either way as to whether they would declare or bat on for no obvious reason. It was made all the more confusing as twelfth man Geoff Allott regularly came on to the field at the end of overs just prior to lunch with a drink and gloves, but only used them as a cover to have chats with the batsmen, obviously trying to convey what the team's possible intentions were.

They batted on after lunch and Vettori went immediately on the charge, swinging wildly at anything, getting 18 of the 22 runs off the first two overs back. When Vettori sat seven runs short of another half century for the series and completing the sequence of 50+ scores for the middle order from number five down to nine, Cairns (126) lofted Kumble straight down Dravid's throat, this time stationed down at long off.

New Zealand promptly declared at 464/8, setting India a world record fourth innings target of 415 to win in just under 4 hours, approximately 57 overs. But it was never a realistic chase, requiring India to bat constantly at a rate of more than 7 runs per over.

Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming was clearly looking to rest his bowlers, in particular the medium quicks, most of whom were dealing with minor injury problems - Nash suffered a back spasm while batting, Simon Doull had a case of heatstroke and spinner Vettori had bruised his index finger during fielding practice in the morning, yet was able to bat.

Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja again didn't last long as the Indian opening partnership woes continued. Sidhu threw away his wicket in his final innings on tour, not wanted for the five-match One-Day International series to immediately follow. His poor series ended when he dragged a Cairns delivery onto his stumps trying to gently push into the covers for 13. Jadeja went soon after for 21, providing a regulation edge from Cairns straight through to the keeper Parore.

Then the rest of the afternoon was dominated by the Dravid and Sourav Ganguly show as most of the front line bowlers went absent from the bowling crease for the remainder of the match, with the part-timers getting a chance to roll the arm over for a while.

Ganguly finally unfurled a display of classy batsmanship that had been missing from him in the other innings of the series, with a bevy of masterfully timed cover drives and square cuts through and behind point. Dravid again continued his magic form with the bat in the match, happy to collect at a slightly lesser pace than his more urgent partner.

Off spinner Paul Wiseman managed to get a bowl after just 20 overs, luxuriously early in the innings in comparison to past times, but he wasn't spared as he went for 78 off just 12 overs.

The match was due to finish 30 minutes early at 5pm with no outright result possible, but Dravid and Ganguly's persistent slaughter of the loose bowling meant they each sat tantalisingly close to three figures with time running out as they jockeyed back and forth in the race to see who could score their bargain bonus ton first.

Ganguly had the inside running until the last ball of the penultimate over before the top of the hour, until Dravid stole the strike for the final over with a single. Then he then proceeded to wallop McMillan for three consecutive fours and suddenly raced from 83 to 95. At the end of the proposed close of play, Ganguly sat on 99 and Dravid 96, but both teams agreed to continue on a little longer to see the centuries through.

Ganguly managed his first, not even raising his bat in celebration as it was clearly not the most precious and challenging ton he had ever scored. Dravid soon after, after much foxing and frustrating bowling from Craig McMillan and Roger Twose, flicked the first ball of Twose's 10th over to the midwicket boundary and that signalled the end to the game. Dravid had completed the first set of twin tons by an Indian batsman in a Test since Sunil Gavaskar scored 107 and 182* against the West Indies at Calcutta in 1978-79.

Chris Cairns was named Man of the Match for his century and 6 wickets in the game. Rahul Dravid could have just have easily been chosen instead, with 293 runs for just once out, but of most note for his chanceless 190 in the first innings that brought India right back into contention, plus his top notch work in the field.