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Can Dhoni’s men create history?

S. Ram Mahesh

The Indian captain is expected to be back for the third Test

— Photo: AFP

IN PEAK CONDITION: Yuvraj Singh and Ishant Sharma keeping themselves fit for the third Test which begins in Wellington on Friday.

WELLINGTON: It follows that when one is in New Zealand, one plays in New Zealand. But the Indians, in the two Tests thus far, have played in conditions found more readily at home than in the alien, sinister New Zealand of imagination; they’ve scarcely had occasion to air their long-sleeved sweaters, much less emerge from fire-heated dressing rooms trussed in layers of woollens, fingers and lips still chapping.

While the direct New Zealand sun has welcomed India like it has few touring teams before, the actual playing conditions have been even more hospitable. Hamilton had a touch of movement off the seam, while Napier had bounce. But neither pitch, contrary to the speculation in the days leading up to the Test, was damp or green. Indeed on match day, they resembled surfaces baked for batting.

Perhaps it’s because New Zealand is in the final stage of its domestic season — the strips have had much traffic, and are tired as a result; perhaps the presence of a new-ball pair as skilled and threatening as Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma is prohibitory: whatever the reason, it’s puzzling that while New Zealand has banged on about wanting more sideways movement at pace from the strip, the bowlers, like renown trouble-makers at a nightclub, have been disarmed at entry.

The fact that there has been little swing, either conventional or reverse, has made it more difficult for the quicker bowlers.

The Basin Reserve, which will host the crucial third and final Test from Friday, appears to offer much of the same, although the city of Wellington promises something different.

The pitch was brown on Wednesday, the grass on it neither fresh nor live, but the day was chillingly cold, particularly when the southerly wind picked up to speeds of nearly 30 knots.

The Basin Reserve, an old-world ground of great beauty created when an earthquake flattened enough land for it amidst hilly terrain, has a reputation for helping the seamers.

Strong winds

The strong winds help the ball swing, although bowling into the wind here is the toughest assignment in international cricket. The last Test played here saw James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom of England capture five-wicket hauls.

But the strip is expected to do less than it usually does. “What the overhead conditions do over the next few days will determine whether some moisture goes into it or whether it remains dry and plays as flat as it is predicted,” said Brendon McCullum, New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman.

It has been very blustery and the sun hasn’t really shone much. Hopefully, the pitch might respond to that.

India, which nurses a 1-0 lead going into the third Test, appeared happy with the surface, coach Gary Kirsten saying it seemed a good cricket wicket with bounce. One of the several things this Indian side has done remarkably well in the recent past is not bother overly with the conditions.

It has also shown tremendous self-belief: V.V.S. Laxman said on the third day that the second Test could be saved, calling it an opportunity to again achieve something special; he himself tendered an unbeaten century to the cause.

“We had to use all our determination to save the game,” said Kirsten. “We had to bat cautiously on that fourth day. For me, it was a remarkable performance. I think we showed in this last Test that we can play two different kinds of cricket.

“I think it’s important that people try and play their natural games and play as positively as they can. But there might be situations where they have to play slightly differently and I think we did that really well,” he added.

Strategic advantage

What India’s resolute batting also did was procure a strategic advantage: it kept New Zealand in the field for over 270 overs. Although Chris Martin, New Zealand’s best seamer at Napier, said he hopes to recover thanks to a regimen of massages, good food, and sleep, it will be difficult if New Zealand bowls first in the third Test.

Moreover, while the home side showed it could compete on level terms with the bat, it has yet to show evidence of the bowling penetration needed to spark a collapse (even accounting for the placidity of the conditions).

M.S. Dhoni is expected to recover from the back spasms that kept him out of the second Test. His men have the opportunity to create history by becoming the first Indian side since M.A.K. Pataudi’s, in 1967-68, to clinch a Test series. Cause for caution? “No, we don’t play like that,” said Kirsten. “We certainly don’t do any strategising around playing for a draw. We want to go and win every Test match, that’s certainly going to be our intention.”

The teams (from):

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (Capt.), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin, Tim Southee, and Jamie How.

India: M.S. Dhoni (Capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, M. Vijay, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Dinesh Karthik.

Umpires: Simon Taufel and Daryl Harper; Third umpire: Tony Hill; Match referee: Alan Hurst.

Hours of play (IST): 3.30 a.m. to 5.30 a.m., 6.10 a.m. to 8.10 a.m., and 8.30 a.m. to close.

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