350 proves completely beyond India

Stephen Fleming brought Chris Cairns back into the attack. The strategy of the Indians was elementary. They took no risks and yet kept the score board ticking over. As the required run rate mounted it became obvious that the Indians would have to begin to go for their shots sooner or later. Apparently Jadeja and Robin Singh thought the time was ripe at around the 35th over. Jadeja began to drive more forcefully and Singh looked around the stadium for possible regions to score boundaries.

Singh attempted to flick Harris over mid wicket and ended up hitting the ball straight to Craig Spearman. Spearman took a well judged catch in the deep and Singh's well paced innings ended at 23.

Vijay Bharadwaj breezed in and out, playing a shot that was clearly not within his abilities. He launched himself into a full fledged straight drive off Vettori, but could not clear the fieldsman on the boundary. Roger Twose took a good catch running around on the boundary.

Nikhil Chopra gave good account of his all round abilities when he lunged forward against Vettori and missed the ball altogether. Parore who has been sloppy all day whipped the bails off in a flash and Chopra was gone without troubling the scorers.

Jadeja batted bravely, holding one end up and was joined by MSK Prasad. Unfortunately Prasad could do no better than any of his counterparts in the lower middle order and was clean bowled by Astle after he made just 2 runs.

After 40 overs India were virtually out of the game at 252/7.

Srinath tried to heave Astle out of the ground and indeed out of the city of Rajkot itself. As it happened the ball flew straight up in the air and luckily for Srinath dropped safely between the mid wicket and long on fielders. The ball was in the air a long time and the catch really should have been taken.

Jadeja tried in vain to swing the ball out of the ground but it was a lost cause by that stage and Astle had himself another easy wicket as the substitute fielder Matthew Horne took the catch on the long off fence. Jadeja's brilliant 95 off 97 balls was a lone hand in an Indian innings filled with batsmen throwing their wickets away.

Srinath finally made one clean connection and deposited the ball in the stands over long on. Scott Styris at medium pace was the ideal candidate for Srinath to go after. All Kumble could do was rotate the strike to Srinath who continued the assault against Astle. Srinath swatted Astle for a four over midwicket and got the crowd excited again. Parore continued to have a bad day behind the stumps as he let a bye go off the bowling of Astle. The ball popped out of his gloves and the batsmen crossed over easily.

Srinath's luck ran out in Styris' next over and he top edged the ball into the on side attempting another huge heave. Matthew Horne took a good catch running in and Srinath's valiant knock of 19 off 15 deliveries was over. Kumble salvaged some pride by hitting Astle straight back down the ground for four.

India's number eleven batsman Venkatesh Prasad came out stroked singles as though the required run rate was 2 an over. He managed to tickle a misdirected Styris delivery past fine leg for four, but it was only a matter of time before the last wicket fell. Prasad was dismissed with the score on 306 and New Zealand won the match by the comfortable margin of 43 runs.

With 120 runs and 3 wickets to his name, there was no doubt that Nathan Astle would be unanimous choice for man of the match.

Shayne O' Connor's inexperience showed through as he sprayed the ball around and allowed the Indian batsmen the luxury of easy runs early on in the innings. He dropped the ball short and wide to Ganguly and was punished. Ganguly stroked the ball magnificently off the back foot, leaning back and easing the ball to the fence.

Nash went off the field after bowling just one over and Cairns took over. Cairns was too full to start with and was belted for four through covers by Tendulkar. Cairns then managed to keep things relatively quiet from his end while the other end still posed problems for Stephen Fleming.

Scott Styris was brought in to the attack to bowl his medium pacers. He too could not place the ball consistently enough on a spot and was taken for runs. He drifted down the leg side and was turned away to the fine leg fence.

Tendulkar brought up the end of the 10th over by coming down the wicket to Styris and giving the ball a fearful thump. The ball was pitched short and Tendulkar pulled it viciously, though he was not entirely in position and the ball landed in the stands over deep mid wicket. After 10 overs India were 76/0.

Nathan Astle set his stalls out for a long innings and was conservative in his approach. In comparison, Roger Twose floored the gas pedal and found that even on a flat batting track it's important to exercise some self control. An attempted heave across the line off Srinath knocked over his middle stump and his innings ended at 56. His innings included 4 fours and 3 huge sixes.

Stephen Fleming came to the crease after Spearman, Astle and Twose had made batting look ridiculously easy. He did not attempt to hammer the ball as earlier batsmen had, but scored quickly nevertheless. He came down the wicket and tried to swat Prasad over long on. Prasad saw him coming, dropped the ball a bit short and Fleming could not get to the pitch of the ball. He got under it and hit it straight to Rahul Dravid at long on. Dravid pouched the catch and the New Zealand captain was gone having made 10.

Astle motored along well in the company of Chris Cairns. The ball came on to the bat nicely off an even bounce. Cairns with his height and shoulder strength had no trouble in standing tall and smacking the ball around. Nikhil Chopra had a frightful time bowling to the Canterbury all rounder. Cairns planted his foot down the ground and smashed Chopra for six straight down the ground. This was in addition to the boundaries he picked off the off spinner at will. He was dismissed by a spectacular bit of fielding by Robin Singh at point. Hitting the ball to the left of Robin, the Kiwi batsmen chanced the arm of the best fielder in the Indian team. A hard, flat throw to the base of middle stump knocked the stump over and sent Cairns on his way. Cairns useful knock of 24 off 20 balls had given impetus to the New Zealand innings.

Nathan Astle struggled to move from 98. For a whole over he remained just 2 short of his century. When he hit the ball to deep square leg and took off for the 2 runs he needed. A good throw from the deep coupled with some good glove work by MSK Prasad ensured that the bails were off in a flash. The third umpire, MR Singh was pressed into service. Astle was safely home and had made the first century for the Kiwis in an international match on tour.

After he reached his hundred a very tired Astle began to innovate t make runs. He lapped the ball gently around the corner for four and followed that up with two cleverly dabbed boundaries to the third man area. After equaling his highest score in one day internationals, Astle played a tired shot and holed out to Dravid at long on. At 120 he was by far the top scorer.

After Astle was dismissed Chris Harris and Adam Parore played good cameos but the bulk of the New Zealand batting was done. Harris and Parore made 24 and 18 respectively before holing out attempting to push the scoring rate. Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori fell quickly to Kumble. Nash struck the last ball of the innings to the point fence and a satisfied New Zealand team went to lunch having made 349/9. This total is one run higher than their previous highest of 348/8 also made against in India at Nagpur in November 1995.

Roger Twose, flown in for the One Dayers came in at the fall of Spearman's wicket. He too struck the ball firmly from the minute he got to the crease and was keen to run quick singles.

Compared to Spearman's early blitz, Astle was just motoring along. Astle's innings on its own however was far from sedate. He played the ball more on merit and played authentic cricket shots. His fifty came off 58 balls.

Roger Twose hit the ball with raw power and sent it speeding to the boundaries. He was as aggressive as Spearman in his approach and tonked the ball around even though the field restrictions were lifted after 15 overs. When he took the aerial route, more often than not he struck it hard enough to clear the boundary ropes. His fifty came off 42 balls, included 4 fours and 3 sixes.

At the end of 20 overs the Kiwis were 152/1.

On a pitch that was completely shorn of grass, the Kiwis won the toss and immediately decided to bat first. Astle and Spearman found the Indian pacemen rather easy to tackle. Both Prasad and Srinath were carted around in the opening overs.

Astle began the attack with a nonchalant pull off Prasad that bounced twice and crashed into the hoardings at the mid wicket boundary. After the initial four from Astle, Spearman took over and treated the crowds to a run feast. He drove superbly through the off side, keeping the ball on the ground yet placing it well enough to beat the field. His timing was impeccable and there was very little any of the bowlers could.

The visitors brought up their fifty off just 46 balls.

Tendulkar resorted to introducing spin well before the completion of 15 overs and the spinner too suffered at the hands of the Kiwis. Kumble was struck cleanly, unlike the sequence of events that enfolded in every Test match. Chopra was dismissed for six straight back over his head by Nathan Astle and there was no stopping the visitors.

Spearman outscored Astle easily and brought up his fifty off just 34 balls. His fifty included 11 boundaries.