India vs NZ: Done without dance

With due respect to New Zealand, they have habitually been India’s prelim papers, meant to be sandbagged resourcefully before sterner tests. Remember their last four visits here? In 1999 and 2003, India played the Black Caps before travelling to Australia, the series called Agni Pareeksha. When the Kiwis landed here in 2010, India were already talking about the overseas assignment against Dale Steyn & Co.

This time, the Tests in Hyderabad and Bangalore were seen as a prologue to the home season’s finale against England and Australia.

While a series sweep is a welcome balm for a side that had lost eight of its last 11 Tests, India don’t quite have all the bases covered.

New Zealand had their moments in Bangalore, especially at 80 for four in the first innings and 166 for five in the second as India became queasy in the chase. How they missed Daniel Vettori to back Jeetan Patel!

Their fast bowlers — Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell — were quicker and nippier than their Indian counterparts. With a bit of luck, New Zealand’s airborne slip fielders may well have pocketed a chance or two early in India’s second dig in Bangalore. In contrast, Zaheer Khan appeared to be bowling within himself and Umesh Yadav, bar his last spell in the series, would deliver one good ball in three overs. Against classier line-ups, India don’t even have a third seam option. Lest forgotten, Ishant Sharma is yet to be assessed this season.

R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha bowled splendidly, sharing 31 wickets between them and more than covering up for India’s pace limitations. Soon after rounding off the win in Bangalore, MS Dhoni said, “I would like to see us batting on turning tracks. Our spinners were brilliant on pitches that didn’t help them, but I feel that the fast bowlers need to chip in.” Dustbowls and three spinners — one of them possibly Harbhajan Singh — could be the new world order in India, come October when the Englishmen land here.
While he has been forthright about India’s modest attack, Dhoni has unalloyed faith in his batsmen, in spite of three glaring weak links.

Gautam Gambhir can’t resist those airy wafts outside off. He has caught this bug in the ODIs and it’s living with him in the Tests too. “I think he is batting well in the nets and it’s just a matter of time that he does the same in matches too. He started off really well (in the second innings in Bangalore). So we’re hoping he would come good in the coming games,” Dhoni said.

The captain can be pretty set in his ways, one reason why the No 6 conundrum hasn’t been resolved. Suresh Raina remains a tease: reborn in one innings, reckless in the next. His last Test knock — he played a predetermined biff to midwicket when the contest was hanging in the balance — would have made him red in the face.

Seldom has a No 6 enjoyed such an extended run. Dhoni said, “In the first innings, he went out there and played his shots. Then he could’ve nicked one and then the same question would have been asked. Otherwise, people say it was brilliant batting. I remember me playing against England a long time back at the Wankhede. I played a similar kind of shot. You learn from experience.”

Ajinkya Rahane better prime himself for India’s next ‘A’ tour. As the Indian batting is renewing itself with Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar’s final act is being staged out. He had a rank ordinary series, though India could do with his experience in the next eight Test matches.

What’s the right time to choreograph his exit? Should he be on plane to South Africa next year? One Tendulkar gem may put this question on hold. How long, one is not sure.