India saved the Test with their heads held high as all the batsmen played their part.
Having batted like run millionaires in the first innings, the Indian batsmen did exactly the opposite and played thriftily as is expected in tough financial times like the present. They thus saved the Test match with their heads held high and also spared the acting skipper Virender Sehwag the blushes. The skipper, who is a canny cricketer, will have realised especially having seen Gautam Gambhir curb his natural attacking instincts that in Test cricket there is less than the fifth gear to bat in.
Test cricket being a five-day game a batsman can up the tempo gradually and not go hammer and tongs from the first ball. By doing so Sehwag is letting himself down for he has shown on numerous occasions that he can buckle down and play the ball on its merits, the Adelaide century being a prime example and with just one more Test left he also has just one chance to get to the elusive Test century in New Zealand.
All the batsmen played their part. Dravid was immovable as always and his solidity rubbed off on Gambhir, who showed a different face as he too took his time and ensured that India were not in any danger. It was as if he was making up for his rush of blood in the first innings. It was an innings to warm the cockles of the heart of an old timer and he has taken another step towards greatness with this calm composed patient innings.
Tendulkar’s disappointment at getting out was obvious for he knew that he had a century and more for the taking. The pitch was still good and the Kiwi bowling pedestrian at best. What he missed out was scored by the elegant VVS Laxman. When he came in to bat there was a sniff of a chance for New Zealand and if he had fallen soon, then Yuvraj who was on a pair would have had to come in to bat under pressure but situations like these bring the best in Laxman and the fluency that he played with was tremendously enjoyable.
India are fortunate that they have a talent like Yuvraj Singh. There is no better and cleaner hitter of a cricket ball than this left-hander but somehow he seldom gets the credit and is invariably criticised when he fails. In a way that is a tribute to his ability for he is expected to score every time he goes in to bat and that even Bradman could not do. His quickfire knock stopped any ideas the Kiwis may have had of a sudden turnaround and has given India the chance to break a jinx and win a series there after 40 years.
When the going got tough the tough indeed got going but they are really so far superior to the Kiwis that they should never get in that situation again.
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