Indian pace trio Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel gave their team an edge over the host New Zealand by bowling them out for 279 on day one of first test match.
Earlier New Zealand fought back well with the help of Jesse Ryder's (102 runs) maiden test century and Daniel Vettori's (118 runs) third test century after an early collapse of 60/6. At lunch New Zealand were tattering with all the top order batsman back in the dressing room and were in danger of being bowled out for less than hundred. But these two batsmen showed great commitment and application by putting record 186 runs for the seventh wicket.
Vettori's innings was a crucial one for his side but was not without lifelines,as almost he was run out on the penultimate ball before tea and was then dropped by Rahul Dravid on 77. He eventually brought up third Test century with a single after a streaky sweep shot, the 100 taking 139 balls and including 13 fours and two sixes.
Indian bowlers after an early success tried hard to get these two batsmen out but they failed to do so till one an half hour of play after tea. In the morning session it was damp wicket with ball doing alot and as the game progresses it became a good wicket to bat on.
Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan earlier combined to derail the New Zealand innings before lunch, after M.S.Dhoni won the toss and made unexpected decision to bowl. However his decision proved right when New Zealand batsmen are struggling to put bat to ball.
Zaheer Khan after a poor show in the last one day international, settled to very good line. His bowl was moving around quite a bit, first he remove test debutant M.Guptill for 14 runs to reduce New Zealand score to 14/1 and in his very next over he dismissed D.Flynn for a duck.
Ross Taylor was given a lifeline when he was dropped by Virender Sehwag in the gully when on nought and then Tim McIntosh survived a run-out chance with New Zealand on 26 for two.
Ishant Sharma soon joined the party by picking up three crucuial wickets of T.McIntosh (12 runs), R.Taylor (18 runs) and J.Franklin (0 runs). AT 51/5, Munaf Patel introduced into the attack and he soon dismissed dangerous B.McCullum (3 runs) to push New Zealand further down the tunnel.
Munaf Patel who was criticized so much after his poor show in the one day internationals bounce back well and given justice to his inclusion in the playing XI by providing much needed breakthrough in his 16th over. First he dismissed New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori caught behind the wicket by Dhoni and then on very next ball he bowled K.Mills for a duck to reduce the New Zealand score from 246/6 to 246/8.
When J.Ryder was on 98, Harbhajan remove I.O'Brien stumped by Dhoni on very first ball of his 22nd over to picked New Zealand ninth wicket. However C.Martyn survives the rest of the five deliveries of Harbhajan over to give his partner a chance to reach his maiden test century. J.Ryder clubbed Ishant Sharma over square leg in the next over to reach a magical three figure mark but on the very next ball he got out to give Ishant his fourth wicket of the inning.
Sharma (four for 73 off 19.2 overs) and Patel (three for 60 off 18) were the chief wicket-takers but Harbhajan also bowled well to finish with one for 57 off 22 overs, including seven maidens.
At stumps on day 1 India were 29/0 with Virendra Sehwag batting on 22 runs and Gautam Gambhir batting on 6 runs.Sehwag hit five boundaries, including three off one Kyle Mills over, to be 22 not out, while Gambhir was unbeaten on six.
Match Summary (Day1 Stump)
New Zealand 1st Inning – 279/10 in 78.2 Overs
D.Vettori- 118 J.Ryder–102
I.Sharma– 19.2-4-73-4 M.Patel– 18-4-60-3
India 1st Inning – 29/0 in 7 Overs
V.Sehwag- 22* G.Gambhir–6*
C.Martin– 4-1-9-0 K.Mills– 2-0-18-0
No comments:
Post a Comment