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Grit sees New Zealand emerge victors
Partab Ramchand - 24 December 2002
Every Indian tour of New Zealand has been affected by rain and
bad light, and the last trip there in 1998-99 was no different.
In fact, the scheduled three-Test series got reduced to two as
the first match at Dunedin was abandoned because of a downpour.
There was never really any chance of play, and the umpires
formally abandoned the game on the third day. Of the two
remaining Tests, New Zealand won one and the other was drawn,
which meant that the hosts had lost only one series to India in
six contests at home the first one, played way back in 1967-68.
The wash-out of the first Test was more a handicap to the Indians
than the New Zealanders, and the visitors must have approached
the swirling conditions in Wellington with some apprehension.
When Simon Doull had the Indians at 16 for four on the first
morning, the match was virtually decided.
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It was essentially a battle between a team made up of several
stars and another constituting essentially of journeymen. But the
home team proved to be fitter and more committed and resilient.
India’s stars performed only in fits and starts, and consistency
was sadly lacking. They suffered a setback in the opening first-
class fixture of the tour when they lost to Central Districts by
seven wickets. Although they recovered to defeat Wellington by
eight wickets in the only other first- class game before the Test
series, the portents of defeat were all too apparent, especially
given their none-too-convincing record in New Zealand.
The wash-out of the first Test was more a handicap to the Indians
than the New Zealanders, and the visitors must have approached
the swirling conditions in Wellington with some apprehension.
When Simon Doull had the Indians at 16 for four on the first
morning, the match was virtually decided. Navjot Sidhu, Rahul
Dravid and Nayan Mongia all failed to score, and it took a brave
unbeaten 103 by Mohammad Azharuddin to get India to 208. The
Indian captain’s 21st Test century was made in the face of some
inspired bowling by Doull, who kept an admirable line and length
and used the wind to swing the ball menacingly. He finished with
seven for 65, the fourth-best figures for New Zealand in Test
cricket.
The Indian bowlers fought back, and New Zealand lost seven
wickets in catching up with India’s moderate total. But a record
eighth-wicket partnership of 137 between Dion Nash and Daniel
Vettori helped them wrest back the initiative. A lead of 144 was
always going to be handy, even if the Indians did much better in
the second innings, posting a total of 356. Sachin Tendulkar top-
scored with 113 and the New Zealanders were left a victory target
of 213.
Again India’s bowlers did very well, and at the end of the fourth
day, New Zealand were 73 for four effectively five, as Nathan
Astle had retired after having his hand fractured by a delivery
from Javagal Srinath. A fifth wicket fell at 74, but then Craig
McMillian (74 not out) and Chris Cairns (61) quashed Indian hopes
of a victory by adding 137 runs for the sixth wicket. Cairns got
out trying to hit the winning stroke, and that honour fittingly
went to Nash.
India never really had a chance to square the series in the final
Test at Hamilton. The pitch was too good, as symbolised by the
four centuries and as many as eight other scores over the half-
century mark being notched up. The one consolation was that India
had the Man of the Match in Dravid, who became only the third
player from the country to get a hundred in each innings of a
Test after Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar (who performed the
feat three times).
New Zealand led off with 366, to which the Indians replied with
416. This represented a pretty good recovery, for at one stage
they were 211 for seven. Dravid and Srinath added 144 runs for
the eighth wicket, with the fast bowler getting a career-best 76.
Then Dravid and Venkatesh Prasad (30) carried India’s total past
New Zealand’s with a ninth-wicket association of 61. Dravid was
finally out for 190 after having batted for more than eight hours
and hitting 31 fours.
The first-innings lead of 50 seemed to be valuable when New
Zealand were 85 for four in the second knock. Thereafter, though,
India’s bowling ran out of steam, and McMillan (84), Adam Parore
(50), Cairns (126), Nash (63) and Daniel Vettori (43 not out) all
made merry. Stephen Fleming delayed the declaration at 464 for
eight until after lunch, and in the remaining time, Dravid hit
his second century (103 not out) while Sourav Ganguly too got an
unbeaten 101 as the Indians closed at 249 for two. Incidentally
this was Sidhu’s 51st and last Test.
The five-match series of one-day internationals was keenly
fought, and fittingly it ended with each side winning two matches
and the third game at Wellington being declared a no-result. New
Zealand won the first by five wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis
system, while India hit back by taking the second by two wickets.
India maintained the momentum with a five-wicket victory in the
fourth ODI, only for New Zealand to draw level with a 70-run win
in the final game.
[Archive]
© CricInfo
Teams
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India,
New Zealand.
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Players/Umpires
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Navjot Sidhu,
Rahul Dravid,
Nayan Mongia,
Mohammad Azharuddin,
Dion Nash,
Daniel Vettori,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Nathan Astle,
Javagal Srinath,
Vijay Hazare,
Sunny Gavaskar,
Javagal Srinath,
Stephen Fleming,
Sourav Ganguly.
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Tours
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India in New Zealand
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