Dion Nash can, with some justification, claim world No. 1 batsman Sachin Tendulkar as his batting bunny after helping tilt another see-saw BNZ cricket test match to New Zealand's advantage after two days.
Nash removed Tendulkar when he last batted in Wellington and claimed his scalp again yesterday in Hamilton when the ``Little Master'' was threatening to take control of the game.
Nash had been pummelled for three successive fours by Tendulkar, the third an imperious pull through mid-wicket. The thumping only served to stoke the competitive fires within the feisty Nash and with two successive balls he beat him striking the pads.
The second gained a positive response from umpire Doug Cowie, when some doubt may have existed. India lost two more wickets in the session, finishing at 196 for five, well behind New Zealand's respectable first innings of 366.
New Zealand coach Steve Rixon said it was a measure of Nash's competitive nature that he responded to the pasting from Tendulkar as he did.
``He took it as a personal challenge and would be very happy with one for 12 from that piece of play in his mind.
``I think he surprised Sachin with his bounce and when he hits the string (seam), he's as much a danger as anybody.''
Rixon said the clay-based pitch suited Nash because of its hardness, maintaining its seam movement throughout the first two days.
``I don't think hardly any of the batsmen on both sides have been in full control. Even the great Sachin was playing and missing, it's quite a difficult wicket. The ball keeps on doing a bit and as a batsman you struggle to really get in. Having said that I take my hat off to Rahul Dravid who has played a class innings, the best of any in this game.''
The fluent Dravid finished unbeaten on 93 at stumps and is a key to the match's outcome.
``Taking those three wickets in the last session when we removed the heart and soul of their batting, although being a little more expensive than I would have liked, probably has us slightly ahead, but that's all.''
Rixon said New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was forced to use his slower bowlers at one end because of deep footmarks which were providing some footing problems, rotating the quicker bowlers at the other.
Rixon had earlier been a little disappointed New Zealand had fallen short of the sought after first innings figure of 400 having resumed the day at 283 for five.
Adam Parore's batting blues continued, although his 21 was his highest first-class score this summer after previous innings of 1, 1, 16, 5, 6, 2, and 1.
Indian debutant Robin Singh surprised Chris Cairns with a ball which seamed back for his first test wicket, and then, one run later, had another, having nightwatchman Paul Wiseman caught.
Javagal Srinath ended another promising Dion Nash-Daniel Vettori stand worth 41. When Srinath dismissed Simon Doull for the fifth behind-the-wicket catch of the innings he claimed a well-deserved five-wicket bag, his third in 35 tests.
Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad said his batsmen tried to play too many shots, too soon in their innings. ``There were too many mistakes from our players. They tended to get themselves out rather than being got out.''
India again suffered from the lack of a solid opening partnership with both Navjot Sidhu and tour vice-captain Ajay Jadeja falling at 17 before Tendulkar and Dravid teamed for a 109-run third wicket stand in just 118 minutes. Tendulkar's 67 came from just 93 balls with 10 fours and a six.
Nash and Simon Doull were the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, with Cairns being treated with contempt and Vettori struggling against the aggressive Indian batsmen.
Day 3: Catching blunders may be fatal
New Zealand's inexperienced slip-catching cordon was exposed, probably costing the Black Caps a potential match-winning advantage against India with two days of the third BNZ cricket test remaining.
While a draw appears the most likely outcome, New Zealand will have to bat well throughout today and well into tomorrow to deny India any chance of squaring the series.
At stumps last night, the Black Caps were 45 without loss in their second innings, having nearly wiped out the first innings deficit of 50. Trailing on the first innings seemed unthinkable when New Zealand made early inroads yesterday, reducing India to 211 for seven. A 100-plus lead looked likely.
However, New Zealand's new second and third slips, Daniel Vettori and Matthew Bell, dropped costly catches which enabled India to climb back into the match.
``It was a frustrating day. We pride ourselves on our catching, but we lost the initiative,''said captain Stephen Fleming.
Javagal Srinath was missed four times behind the wicket with the first blunder by Vettori when Srinath had scored just five and India was 221 for seven. Vettori went in front of accomplished catcher Fleming at first slip, but spilt the offering.
Fleming said he had no problem with Vettori taking his line. ``We have said if it's there go for it, so I don't blame Daniel. It's tough on the pair of them not having fielded in there before for New Zealand.''
Bryan Young was New Zealand's regular second slip until this season and he was replaced by Nathan Astle, who was injured in the second test last week at Wellington.
Bell dropped Srinath on 37, while on 30 wicketkeeper Adam Parore dropped a hard diving chance to his left. Srinath's charmed life continued on 45 when a ball went between Parore and Fleming at catchable height, prompting an exchange of looks, although it appeared Parore's ball.
``I might have crept a bit wide, but when a couple go down everybody gets a bit tense,'' said Fleming.
Dion Nash and Simon Doull, by far the best of the New Zealand bowlers, suffered the misfortunes. They were made to pay in the stifling Hamilton heat as Srinath (76) and Rahul Dravid (190) both made their highest test scores and shared in a record-breaking eighth-wicket stand between the countries of 144.
No. 10 Venkatesh Prasad then posted his highest test score, adding 61 with Dravid.
Fleming defended his extended use of Nash and Doull by saying they were the Black Caps best wicket-taking options on a pitch still giving some assistance to the seam bowlers. Chris Cairns took most wickets, but invariably served up a ball an over which was dispatched for four.
Fleming feels the wicket is getting easier to bat on and said New Zealand now wanted to bat for as long as possible.
``The wicket seems to have got flatter and there's not much movement now. There might be a bit of variation in bounce, but the game is in our court. The onus is on India to bowl us out,'' said Fleming.
He hinted that a declaration was unlikely with New Zealand ahead in the series and given the potentially free-scoring Indian line-up.
New Zealand started its second innings with its best opening partnership, Bell putting aside the nightmare of his previous three innings in which he has lasted a total of just 16 balls.
India was handicapped in its quest for early second innings wickets when Srinath was hampered by body cramps, but Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin expects him to be fit to bowl today.
``I'm quite hopeful. They are still five runs behind and the wicket is not going to be that easy so we have a chance,'' Azharuddin said.
Day 4: Parore helps NZ avoid meltdown
Logo New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Parore produced a timely return to form as the Black Caps middle order halted a sickening collapse to steer the team towards a draw and 1-0 series success against India.
Last night New Zealand had reached the relatively calm waters of 323 for six, an over-all lead of 273, after giving the appearance of a sinking ship in the first session when slumping to 85 for four on day four of the third BNZ cricket test.
New Zealand must still be vigilant today for the first session at least with the free-scoring Indian batsmen capable of scoring four an over on a wicket still simmering under the Hamilton sun.
Craig McMillan, Parore, Chris Cairns, and Dion Nash led a rousing revival. Parore admitted to feeling the pressure when he went to the crease having a dismal run of low scores behind him this season, his highest being 21 in the first innings.
``I certainly felt the need to contribute. All the other boys in the team have been pitching in. Batting in the top six you are expected to be able to get to 50,'' said Parore describing the situation as a ``small crisis''.
``But just because you are not scoring runs does not necessarily mean you are playing badly.''
Parore played two spanking straight drives early on which bolstered his confidence and he prospered from there. He was fortunate to be batting in tandem with the aggressive McMillan. ``We decided we had to take the game to them. Batting time was not going to help and we wanted to dominate the bowlers which is the way things transpired,'' Parore said.
He was pleasantly surprised at how well the wicket was holding together.
Parore and McMillan added a New Zealand record fifth wicket stand against India of 140 at run-a-minute pace with McMillan fashioning his third half century in consecutive innings. His dejection at getting out when in sight of a century -- having compiled a sparkling 84 from 102 balls with 13 fours -- as in the first innings was obvious.
Parore followed at the same score after reaching his 12th test half century as two wickets fell in seven balls. Then a confident Cairns and Nash, who has yet to be dismissed in the series from four innings, combined for an unbroken 98-run seventh wicket stand.
Earlier, Matthew Horne fell adding only one to his overnight score while skipper Stephen Fleming disappointed himself, dragging the ball on when seemingly caught in two minds.
Opener Matthew Bell was unable to score for 75 minutes from the start of play yesterday which was worrying. Both he and Roger Twose succumbed to India's part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar.
Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad accepts New Zealand will not provide the visitors with a declaration today.
``Why should they? If I was in their position I would do the same. They are poised to win the series.''
Gaekwad said India would attempt to chase almost any target.
Day 5: Cairns typifies Kiwi spirit
While New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns was fortunate to win the man-of-the-match award, there was no denying he typified New Zealand's resurgent fighting spirit in its 1-0 test series success against India.
Cairns contributed 126 runs in Hamilton yesterday, only his second test century, as the Black Caps' lower order put any series-squaring hopes beyond India's reach. After New Zealand batted through the first session a draw became the only possible outcome.
By his own admission, Cairns's bowling in recent weeks has been sub-standard, but he maintained discipline to twice contribute with the bat, in the match-winning stand with Craig McMillan at Wellington and again in the second innings of third test.
``It's been a tough series with the advantage going to and fro. Mentally it's been pretty draining,'' Cairns said.
After a lean period with the bat last season, Cairns has returned to form and his 126 included some thundering drives and majestic pulls as he struck 16 fours and three sixes.
Dravid better choice
The man of the match award capped an outstanding day for the Canterbury all-rounder, who followed his batting feat by bowling with better rhythm in the second innings to capture the only two Indian wickets to fall.
However, it seemed an injustice that judge Ian Leggat's vote for the over-all prize went to Cairns, considering the magnificence of Indian Rahul Dravid's first innings batting when he played impeccably for 190.
For good measure Dravid added an unbeaten second innings hundred and it must be rare that a century in each innings, albeit the second under little pressure, has not been good enough to win the man of the match award.
Apart from Cairns's performance, captain Stephen Fleming heaped praise on Dion Nash, who also displayed rousing fighting qualities as the middle order often retrieved poor top-order starts. Like Cairns, Nash seemed set for a deserved century yesterday, only to be run out after a mix-up with Cairns on 63, his first dismissal in four innings.
``I think our improvement in the ability to get out of tricky situations has been the notable feature of this series. In both games it could have gone both ways at times, but we came through when we might have folded in the past,'' said Fleming.
Coach Steve Rixon said it was too early to get carried away on the strength of the success, with the classy South African side, New Zealand's next test opponent, here next month.
Fleming said the winning target set India by New Zealand of 415 to win in 56 overs had been necessary with three of the New Zealand bowlers struggling. Nash suffered a back spasm while batting, Daniel Vettori a badly bruised finger, and Simon Doull had heat stroke.
``We were one up in the series and also the wicket had not deteriorated, so the factors added up to not declaring earlier.''
Had there been any sniff of success, India would have pursued it vigorously as shown by Dravid and Saurav Ganguly pounding centuries, albeit against an under-strength attack.
India reached 249 for two from 52.1 overs when the game was halted after the Indian pair reached three figures.
Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad said the target was too tough, even for his star-studded batting line-up, and the players were content to use the afternoon as batting practice for the upcoming one-day series, which starts in Taupo on Saturday.