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ShareEven good teams have been known to lose from strong positions because of losing focus, and while it seems unlikely that New Zealand can suddenly discover high quality match-winners, there is obviously little leeway that India should give their opponents.
Vettori himself, Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum are players of international class, but lack support. Yet, it will help the home team to be the underdogs, because the pressure is now clearly on the Indians, who have to not only retain the lead in the second Test, but try and win the series.
From India's point of view, there were several gains (their fielding has to improve) apart, of course, from Sachin Tendulkar's tour de force that garnered most of the plaudits. For Dhoni, of particular significance will be the return to form of Rahul Dravid, and Harbhajan Singh's fine, attacking bowling in the last innings. Both these players had a point to prove to themselves if not their detractors.
All said and done, it was a splendid team effort, and yet in many ways a one-man show. His bounty of centuries is no longer only for the record books one reckons. In dedicating his 42nd to the noble cause of preservation of tigers,Tendulkar also showed largesse of heart, though New Zealand's supporters may have wondered whether he should not have directed this to saving the hapless Kiwi, metaphorically speaking.
Tendulkar's sublime 160 in the first innings was the fulcrum around which India's comprehensive ten wicket victory was accomplished. It virtually put New Zealand out of the game, because after a massive 241-run first innings lead had been procured, there was only one side which could have won.
Once New Zealand had been bowled out cheaply, India needed to consolidate the advantage into an invincible position. It required one, perhaps two batsmen to bat out long enough, score rapidly enough to bowl the opponents out again on a wicket that had little help for the players.
After Tendulkar sussed out the pitch, he played this role to perfection. It was an innings of style and stature, of exquisite strokes that bespoke vintage touch, and new-found cricketing statesmanship. It may not have been his best innings, but then again there could have been few better, and in that paradox, lay the rebuff to the churlish logic that surfaces every now and then to question his genius.
