Harbhajan spoils Kiwi party

November 14, 2010 07:18 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 05:32 am IST - Hyderabad

Harbhajan Singh plays a shot during the third day of the second test match between New Zealand and India at the Rajiv Gandhi cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Photo: K.R. Deepak

Harbhajan Singh plays a shot during the third day of the second test match between New Zealand and India at the Rajiv Gandhi cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Photo: K.R. Deepak

On a compelling Sunday of fortune swings, Test cricket's depth and splendour came to the fore. Situations changed, different protagonists emerged. And the resilience and character of the teams were probed relentlessly.

After the spirited New Zealand's tight bowling and sharp fielding created the pressure to trigger an Indian slump, Harbhajan Singh's blistering 82-ball unbeaten 85 catapulted the home side to 436 for nine at stumps on the third day of the second Test.

The blazing Harbhajan and a determined Santhakumaran Sreesanth (batting on 14) have added 69 crucial runs for the last wicket as India's first innings lead swelled to 86.

On an eventful day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, crafty left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori scalped four. Paceman Tim Southee, who moved the ball at a lively pace and extracted bounce, picked up three wickets.

And on his first Test at home ground, V.V.S. Laxman delighted a heartening gathering of nearly 30,000 with a cultured and stroke-filled 74.

The pitch at Uppal continues to offer bounce. As the Test progresses, there could be more purchase for the spinners.

Harbhajan firing on all cylinders

Once again, the Indian tail has displayed fight. And Harbhajan is in the batting form of his life. His hand-eye coordination and a natural sense of timing are enhanced by greater belief. He appears poised for back-to- back Test centuries.

The fearless Harbhajan hustled the Kiwi attack. This said, it was surprising why the pacemen did not employ round the wicket angle against Harbhajan.

He used the pull stroke effectively against the pacemen – Tim Southee and Brent Arnell were smacked for sixes – but short-pitched deliveries flying across him from round-the-wicket would have forced Harbhajan to strike against the course of the ball. Perhaps, the Kiwis missed a trick.

Harbhajan was not complaining. The belligerent right-hander dismissed seamer Chris Martin beyond the fence over long-on, twice dumped Vettori over the ropes in the same region.

Earlier, Laxman delighted. The man with the gift of timing, caressed Martin through the cover boundary. He seemed inspired by the occasion.

Predictably, he brought his dexterous wrists into play. Such are Laxman’s gifts that he could pick paceman Brent Arnel from outside the off-stump and still wrist him past the mid-wicket ropes. The elegant right-hander can drive the same delivery through covers and this is precisely why it is hard to set a field for him. He has more than one option for every ball.

But then, a batsman’s strength can be his weakness. The persistent Martin nipped one back from outside the off-stump. Attempting a flick, Laxman missed to be adjudged leg-before.

Rahul Dravid chipped in with a handy 45, adding 75 for the fourth wicket with Laxman. Between periods of resolute defence, Dravid pulled Southee, cut Arnell and steered Martin past the ropes. A testing delivery from Southee that straightened from the off-stump caught him in front.

Vettori orchestrates wily spells

The Kiwis bowled well in partnerships, created the stress. Martin and Southee combined effectively with Vettori in pace-spin associations.

Following lower back problems, Vettori, consciously, does not quite pivot in his action these days. Consequently, there is less spin away from the right-hander.

But then, he has worked out his own methods. Vettori uses the crease cleverly, varies his length and trajectory. The batsmen play for spin and the delivery straightens.

Vettori also beat the batsmen with flight. Sachin Tendulkar, lured out of the crease, attempted to hit over the on-side field. The dip and a hint of an away spin saw the maestro edging to Ross Taylor, who plucked a marvellous high reflex catch with his right hand at slip.

Vettori gave the ball air to prise out Suresh Raina as well. The left-hander, who had survived a very close appeal for stumping, suffered a rush of blood by charging out and trying to clout the ball over the mid-wicket fence. Raina holed out.

The Kiwi captain's teasing line around the off and middle stump saw his counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni push forward tentatively; he was picked up at short covers.

It can be argued that the Indian mistakes were forced by the stress created by the tight bowling and fielding of the Kiwis. The Kiwis were on the ball during this phase. Singles were not given away easily, the strong infield was often brilliant.

Vettori set some interesting fields. A short-leg, a short-mid-wicket, a short square-leg to the left of umpire and a fine-leg indicated that the pacemen would bowl short.

This, however, proved a bluff on occasions with the seamers bowing either on a good length or pitching the ball up.

On a surface with decent carry, it was vital for the pacemen to employ the short-pitched ball judiciously. Martin and Southee in particular disrupted the footwork of the batsmen by mixing their length. But then, the Kiwis ran out of ideas against Harbhajan.

Scoreboard

New Zealand (Ist innings) 350.

India (Ist innings): G. Gambhir c Hopkins b Southee 54 (129b, 7x4), V. Sehwag b Vettori 96 (120b, 15x4, 1x6), R. Dravid lbw b Southee 45 (144b, 5x4), S. Tendulkar c Taylor b Vettori 13 (28b, 1x4), V.V.S. Laxman lbw b Martin 74 (160b, 11x4), S. Raina c Guptill b Vettori 20 (30b, 3x4), M.S. Dhoni c McCullum b Vettori 14 (21b, 1x4), Harbhajan (batting) 85 (82b, 7x4, 5x6), Zaheer c Arnel b Southee 7 (37b, 1x4), P. Ojha (run out) 0 (7b), S. Sreesanth (batting)14 (47b, 2x4),

Extras (b-4, lb-8, nb1, w-1) 14, Total (for nine wickets in 134 overs) 436.

Fall of wickets: 1-160 (Sehwag), 2-160 (Gambhir), 3-184 (Tendulkar), 4-259 (Dravid), 5-311 (Raina), 6-326 (Laxman), 7-336 (Dhoni), 8-355 (Zaheer), 9-367 (Ojha).

New Zealand bowling: Martin 29-6-87-1, Southee 28-6-95-3, Arnel 24-5-79-0, Vettori 45-6-123-4, Williamson 7-0-31-0, Taylor 1-0-9-0.

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