As an opener, Tim McIntosh is a throwback to another era. A battler and an accumulator of runs, he wants to specialise in Test cricket. The Kiwi relishes the smell of sweat.
When the lanky McIntosh raised his willow after an engaging century at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Friday, he had become the first New Zealand opener in six years to notch up an away Test hundred.
Significantly, he had followed a pair in the first Test in Ahmedabad with a fighting 102. The 30-year-old left-hander's strength of mind came to the fore as he journeyed from despair to a moment of celebration.
Riding on McIntosh's second Test century and a strokeful 85 from Martin Guptill – the two added a crucial 147 runs for the second wicket - New Zealand progressed to a respectable 258 for four at the conclusion of the opening day of the second Test.
India struck back at the fag end when Zaheer Khan prised out McIntosh with the second new ball – the opener played away from his body to drag the ball to his stumps – but the Kiwis had once again shown character on a pitch with more bounce than the one used for the first Test.
McIntosh proved a roadblock for the host. He has an unusual technique. The Kiwi has a tendency to move across the stumps, is a candidate for leg-before decisions.
Yet, he possesses some old fashioned virtues. McIntosh has immense powers of concentration and has the ability to blunt the attack. For most part, the New Zealander defended with resolve and revealed sound judgment outside the off-stump. The opener guided his team through a tough first session when the ball swung and seamed.
He nudged and pushed for his runs and carefully picked his moment to unleash the bigger blows. His front-footed off-drive off Sreesanth sped to the fence.
McIntosh used his feet with purpose while coping with the spinners. He came down the track and whipped left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha over mid-wicket for the maximum. The Kiwi might have been fortunate, though, on 66 when umpire Simon Taufel gave him the benefit of doubt after Harbhajan's change of pace appeared to have worked. Replays showed the ball would have hit the stumps.
Sreesanth strikes early
Earlier, Santhakumaran Sreesanth bowled beautifully after Daniel Vettori elected to bat. While there was rhythm in his run-up, the paceman's wrist and seam position were exemplary. Sreesanth moved the ball teasingly away from the right hander.
And he was versatile on a morning of sunshine and cloud-cover. Apart from finding swing, Sreesanth got a few deliveries to seam and bounce from a short of a good length. Some jagged away from the batsman, others straightened.
The dangerous Brendon McCullum, opened up by one such delivery, was snaffled up by 'keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sreesanth forced Guptill, on 5, to nick one, that swung late, to the 'keeper. Even as Guptill started his walk back, umpire Kumar Dharmasena, developing doubts about the bowler over-stepping the line, referred the decision to the third umpire. It indeed was a `no-ball' and Guptill received a fresh lease of life.
Replacing B.J. Watling in the eleven, Guptill was off to a rather tentative start. When on 11, the right-hander attempted to cut a Harbhajan delivery that straightened around the off-stump but Dhoni grassed the offering.
Guptill dazzles
The 24-year-old Guptill grew in confidence. Considering he has a rather open-chested stance - batsmen following this method often struggle to get their left foot across for the drive through the off-side - he drove fluently between mid-off and cover.
Although two-eyed, he gets himself into a relatively good side-on position when meeting the ball.
It was an impressive innings from Guptill. His straight drives off Sreesanth and Zaheer scorched the turf. And he waltzed down the track to strike Harbhajan for the maximum over long-on.
Guptill's balance is remarkable since he has only two toes on his left foot. The Kiwi appeared heading for a hundred when he shuffled across to a Ojha delivery that pitched on leg and held its line. He was adjudged leg-before.
Zaheer went round the wicket and took the ball away to remove Ross Taylor, who was settling down. The change in the angle worked as the batsman nicked to Dhoni.
Zaheer operated with control. Harbhajan bowled a tad better – he flighted the ball more – but did not have the rub of the green. Ojha, again, was a mixed bag.
It was also a day when the Indian field placings were rather defensive. India needs to be more aggressive in its tactics.
Scoreboard
New Zealand (Ist innings): T. McIntosh b Zaheer 102 (254b, 10x4, 1x6), B. McCullum c Dhoni b Sreesanth 4 (8b, 1x4), M. Guptill lbw Ojha 85 (160b, 9x4, 1x6), R. Taylor c Dhoni b Zaheer 24 (53b, 1x4), J. Ryder (batting) 22 (64b, 3x4), G. Hopkins (batting) 0 (5b), Extras: (b-1, lb-15, nb-4, w-1) 21; Total (for four wickets in 90 overs) 258.
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (McCullum), 2-151 (Guptill), 3-206 (Taylor), 4-253 (McIntosh).
India bowling: Zaheer 18-7-41-2, Sreesanth 15-1-60-1, Harbhajan 27-6-66-0, Ojha 23-4-60-1, Raina 7-2-15-0.
