At 258 for four, New Zealand were clearly happy to have retired for the day with six wickets in hand. Electing to bat, their strategy, clearly, was to save the wickets rather count runs.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium offered perfect refuge for insomniacs on Friday afternoon. Action churned in the first two sessions of the day was a throwback to the 70s and 80s when Test cricket appeared to be played in slo-mo.
The retroaction on Day One of the second Test between India and New Zealand was eminently forgettable. Dreary and drab to say the least.
At 258 for four, New Zealand were clearly happy to have retired for the day with six wickets in hand. Electing to bat, their strategy, clearly, was to save the wickets rather count runs.
On a pitch that was on the slower side, the Kiwis were too happy to block the Indian bowlers. With no reverse swing off the air and not much turn off the pitch, India failed to force things and looked uncomplaining about the self-containment of the New Zealanders.
Back home in Auckland, Tim McIntosh may well be driving a bullock cart than a car to a practice session. A century with a strike-rate of about 40 may not be the slowest century ever scored in Test history, but it was surely more retro than modern.
McIntosh, intent on occupying the crease, exhibited monkish patience, concentration and perseverance. He scored 25 and 30 in the first two sessions before completing his century in a 35-over third session.
The 30-year-old Aucklander, who made a pair in Ahmedabad, almost batted through the day and compiled three substantial partnerships. With Martin Guptill (85), he added 147 runs for the second wicket, followed it up with a 55-run third- wicket stand with Ross Taylor (24) and was then involved in a 47-run association with Jesse Ryder (22*) for the fourth wicket.
McIntosh’s approach seemed to serve the purpose of the New Zealanders, who seemed to adopt a safety-first approach. On Thursday, skipper Daniel Vettori admitted that it was not easy to take 20 Indian wickets in a Test and McIntosh was ensuring that his side made things difficult for India’s bowlers.
But the end-of-the-day’s position would have been different if Kumar Dharamsena’s sixth sense had failed him for a moment and the Indian fielders were a little sharper.
After giving Guptill out caught behind off S Sreesanth, the Sri Lankan referred a no-ball (in the eighth over) to the third umpire. The umpire’s guess was right and the Kiwis were saved from a disastrous start. They had earlier lost Brendon McCullum to Sreesanth.
India could have had more success if Mahendra Singh Dhoni had latched on to an edge off McIntosh’s willow and Rahul Dravid run well and caught a skier, also off McIntosh.
Harbhajan, who went wicketless after 27 overs, was the unlucky bowler on both occasions. The new ball seemed to work as Sreesanth moved the ball impressively in the morning. In this context, Dhoni’s decision to take the new ball after 86 overs was inexplicable.
Once the new cherry was in hand, Zaheer Khan breached what appeared to be the impregnable defences of a well-set McIntosh. It was Zaheer’s second wicket of the day.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}