India Still Third in the ICC Test Ranking

 

 

A rain-affected draw in the third and final Test against New Zealand has robbed India of closing on South Africa in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.

India entered the series needing to win all three Tests to draw level with the Proteas at number two in the rankings on 119 points. Instead, Mahendra Dhoni's team lose a point.

The tourists had started the series with a difference of 37 ratings points relative to eighth-placed New Zealand and this gap meant they were expected to win convincingly. As such, because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, failure to win comfortably means India stay at third place with 117 points.

For their part, New Zealand have gained a ratings point and have climbed to 82 points but still lie eighth, seven points behind the West Indies.

ICC Test Championship Rankings
1. Australia - 128
2. South Africa - 119
3. India - 117
4. Sri Lanka - 108
5. Pakistan - 100
6. England - 98
7. West Indies - 89
8. New Zealand - 82
9. Bangladesh - 0

India’s newly crowned Fab Five

India had a great 2008 and so it is not surprising that as many as five Indian cricketers made it to Wisden’s Dream Test XI. Here’s a look at India’s newly crowned Fab Five.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni:

Leaving behind Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting, the Indian captain has surged ahead to be named the skipper of the XI. In a short span of time that he has been at the helm of affairs, Dhoni has notched up a record to be proud of. Under him, India have beaten Australia and England at home and New Zealand away – all three of them comprehensively. With the responsibility of captaincy, his batting has taken a backseat. However he has performed in most crisis situations, a sign of a great leader in the making. Under Dhoni, Indian cricket itself seems headed for a dream era.

Virender Sehwag:

 

Ever since being recalled to the Test squad for the tour of Australia last year, Virender Sehwag has made sure that he did not disappoint the selectors. After scoring a ton in that series, he smashed a quite unbelievable triple hundred against the South Africans at Chennai and hasn’t looked back since. Bowlers have had a tough time against him and continue to do so. The Australians suffered at his hands during their return series and though India lost in Sri Lanka, the hosts were not spared some Sehwag bashing. The Englishmen would do well not to remember the name Sehwag for he changed the fate of a Test in an hour of scintillating strokeplay. In short, he has been on top of his game and the Kiwis were plain lucky to escape some pasting in the three Tests.

Sachin Tendulkar:

What does one say about his man? He just keeps going on and on and on. Even after 20 years in international cricket and nearly every batting record in the book, Sachin is still hungry for more. He played the perfect guiding hand to the youngsters in the series wins against Australia, England and lately New Zealand. As long as he stays fit and keeps scoring runs in the consistent manner that he has been doing till now, there is little reason for Sachin to call it quits. However, to prolong his Test career, he must seriously consider retiring from the shorter version of the game.

Harbhajan Singh:

He was a somewhat surprise choice though it has to be said that among the spin options available, he was the best bet especially with Monty Panesar not in his elements. To give due credit to Harbhajan, he has improved his overseas record and is growing as an all-round bowler. He bowled well against Australia in both the series’ played between the two sides last year and his 63 wickets in 2008, made him the right choice statistically as well. Having done well in New Zealand and with a batting record which is improving with every innings, Harbhajan Singh’s career has got a new lease of life. Let’s see how far he goes from here.

Zaheer Khan:

No surprises here! Without a doubt the best left-arm pacer in the world presently, Zaheer will walk into any World XI. His ability to move both the old and new ball combined with pin-point accuracy, has played a humungous role in India’s wins over Australia, England and New Zealand. He has developed the knack of picking up wickets at crucial moments and this has made a huge difference on a number of occasions. Ishant Sharma’s emergence has also helped Zaheer a great deal and there is no reason why he shouldn’t continue in the same vein in the forthcoming series’ as he has also remained injury-free.

Three Indian Batsmen in top 10 for ICC ODI Rankings

After the ODI series against NZ there are many changes to Reliance Mobile ICC ODI batsmen ranking. Virender Sehwag Who scored 299 runs in the 5 match series is now at 6th position with a jump of 9 spots. Sachin Tendulkar who is good nick against NZ and his blistering 163 not out has brought him back in top 20 who is at 13th in ODI rankings for batsmen.

Yuvraj Singh who is not in blistering form in NZ has drop in his ranking by one spot and he is at 4th position. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is still at the top in ICC ODI Batsmen rankings.

It i great to see three Indian Batsmen in ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after such a long time.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS LOSE THE WARM-UP MATCH

Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals made a losing start to their South African campaign when they lost by 27 runs against the Cape Cobras in an Indian Premier League warm-up match at Newlands Saturday.
Both teams were well below strength, with the Royals fielding only four of the players who won the IPL last year and the Cobras missing most of the men who won the South African Twenty20 final earlier in the season.
Opening bowler Amit Singh bowled impressively to take three for 15 as the Cape Cobras made 142 for eight.
The home side were struggling at 34 for four and 65 for five but prospered through some hard hitting by lower order batsmen Richard Levi (36), Vernon Philander (26) and Rory Kleinveldt (23).
Kleinveldt took four for 34 when the Royals batted to clinch the man of the match award.
Royals' Australian opening batsman Bob Quiney made a hard-hit 34 off 22 balls but the rest of the batting crumbled. Warne's 21 was the second-highest score.
Scores
Cape Cobras 142-8 in 20 overs (R. Levi 36, V. Philander 26, R. Kleinveldt 23, A. Singh 3-18); Rajasthan Royals 115 in 19 overs (R. Quiney 34, R. Kleinveldt 4-23, R. Peterson 2-17).
Cape Cobras won by 27 runs.

SACHIN PRAISES KIRSTEN AND THANKING INDIAN PEOPLE FOR SUPPORT

Entire country supported us in New Zealand triumph: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar and four other victorious Indian teammates returned to Mumbai in the wee hours on Thursday and thanked the countrymen, saying the entire nation supported the team in its quest of creating history in New Zealand.

"It's an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years," the champion batsman told reporters at the airport on arriving with four other teammates.

Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India defeated New Zealand in their own backyard in a Test series for the first time since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team had vanquished the Kiwis in 1967-68 after hopping across the Tasman sea after a poor series in Australia.

Tendulkar, who had made vital contributions with the bat in both the preceding five-match One-day series and the Test rubber, returned with Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni.

Some members of the support staff of the team also landed in Mumbai along with them.

Skipper Dhoni and some other members of the team, based in northern cities, disembarked in Delhi by a different flight.

South-based cricketers, including stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, went to their respective places directly, according to BCCI sources.

SOUTH AFRICA BEAT AUSTRALIA AND TAKE 2-1 LEAD IN THE SERIES

 

                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Half-centuries from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers proved decisive as South Africa eased to a 25-run victory over Australia in the third one-day international in Cape Town.

Kallis and De Villiers shared a 114-run partnership for the third wicket to rescue the home side from early trouble to post 289 for six.

The tourists struggled in their chase, with Callum Ferguson (63) and James Hopes (63 not out) only briefly threatening as outstanding fielding and Roelof van der Merwe's three for 37 restricted the visitors to 264 for seven.

They made a solid enough start in their response, reaching 30 before the first wicket fell - Brad Haddin run out via a direct hit from JP Duminy fielding at cover.

Ricky Ponting was then dropped twice in successive balls by Mark Boucher and Kallis, although the first chance to the South African wicketkeeper seemed to have been taken on the bounce.

Ponting again survived a run-out chance after running halfway down the track, only to be saved by a poor throw from Albie Morkel at mid-wicket.

But he finally perished for 20 caught and bowled after being outfoxed by a flighted delivery from Johan Botha.

Van der Merwe was introduced into the attack and he struck a double blow in his third over, bowling Michael Clarke (35) and trapping Michael Hussey (one) leg before wicket, despite the batsman getting a big inside edge.

Duminy too was an instant hit when he was brought on to bowl, claiming the wicket of David Hussey (20) with his second ball, caught at long-on by Dale Steyn as Australia fell to 114 for five.

But Ferguson brought up his fifty in 59 balls and shared a 97-run partnership with Hopes, perishing to Van der Merwe, caught by De Villiers running back from cover.

Another brilliant piece of fielding by Duminy in the deep accounted for Mitchell Johnson (nine) being run out as Australia fell well short.

Earlier, after winning his first toss of the series and electing to bat, Graeme Smith was sent on his way in the seventh over when he walked down the track to Johnson (four for 34) and edged a seaming delivery behind to Haddin.

Herschelle Gibbs was next to go when he holed out to a good catch by Hopes at deep mid-wicket off Nathan Bracken.

But in company with De Villiers, Kallis reached his fifty from 69 balls. And Kallis soon followed him to a half-century, at a marginally quicker tempo.

Brett Geeves grabbed a fortuitous breakthrough when Kallis (70) slammed a short and wide delivery straight to Hopes.

Johnson then removed De Villiers for 80 with a slower delivery that took a leading edge and was snapped up by Nathan Hauritz at mid-off.

After Duminy had smashed Johnson straight to Michael Hussey at cover, Boucher and Morkel plundered late runs.

 

Wisdon Test XI Of 2008:Sehwag-The Leading Cricketer In The World

 
Wisden published its first ever Test match Dream XI on Wednesday with Kevin Pietersen the only England player to make the line-up in the sport's annual of record.
South Africa-born Pietersen finds his place at number five in the team. Above him in the Dream batting order is an opening pair- Virender Sehwag, of India, and South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting claims the  number three spot, and India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar is number four.
Below Pietersen are West Indies player- Shivnarine Chanderpaul, just above India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The tail starts with India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh - followed by Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson and South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, with India's Zaheer Khan at number 11.
Sehwag is not only number one by virtue of his position in the batting order but for good measure is identified as the sixth player to be recognised as the Leading Cricketer in the World.
It is an annual accolade previously bestowed on the likes of Shane Warne, Andrew Flintoff and Muttiah Muralitharan.

THE WISDEN TEST XI OF 2008
V. Sehwag (India)
§G. C. Smith (South Africa)
R. T. Ponting (Australia)
S. R. Tendulkar (India)
K. P. Pietersen (England)
S. Chanderpaul (West Indies)
*†M. S. Dhoni (India)
Harbhajan Singh (India)
M. G. Johnson (Australia)
D. W. Steyn (South Africa)
Zaheer Khan (India)
§ Vice-captain

Presentation and Awards:India-New Zealand Test series

Awords:

1.THE NATIONAL BANK CUP:INDIAN TEAM

2.MAN OF THE MATCH OF 3RD TEST:GAUTAM  GAMBHIR

3.MAN OF THE SERIRES:GAUTAM GAMBHIR

4.TROPHY FOR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CATHES IN THE WORLD:RAHUL DRAVID

STATS AFTER INDIA-NEW ZEALAND TEST SERIES

Most Runs scored by Batsman in India New Zealand Test Series 2008/09
Player Name    M    I    Runs    HS    Avg.    100’s    50’s      
G.Gambhir       3    6    445    167    89.00    2       1      
S.Tendulkar     3    5    344    160    68.8      1       2      
J.Ryder            3    5    327    201    65.40    2       0      
R.Taylor           3    5    322    151    64.40    2       0      
R.Dravid           3    6    314    83     62.80    0       4    

Most Wickets taken by Bowlers in India New Zealand Test Series 2008/09
Player Name    M    WKTS    BBI    BBM    Avg.    5wkt      
H.Singh            3    16    6/63    7/102    21.37    1      
C.Martin           3    14    4/98    7/168    32.71    0      
Z.Khan              3    13    5/65    7/122    30.76    1      
I.O’Brien           3    9    3/103    4/189    50.22    0      
I.Sharma           3    8    4/73      4/135      41.75    0    

India win first Test series in New Zealand after 41 years

India secured their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 on Tuesday despite rain denied them a huge victory in the third Test here Tuesday.

The third Test against the Black Caps ended in a draw.The draw at the Basin Reserve was all the tourists needed for a 1-0 series win, breaking the 41-year gap since their last series victory in New Zealand.

India set an impossible target of 617 runs for victory.

The rain forced the teams off 30 minutes into the afternoon session with New Zealand 281 for eight, still 336 runs short, and play was finally called off two hours 20 minutes later at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19.

India win the series 1-0 following their comprehensive 10-wicket win in Hamilton and the draw in Napier.

They were on course for another emphatic victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Black Caps out for 197.

Skipper MS Dhoni declared their second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a mammoth run chase they never looked likely to achieve.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42.

Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were New Zealand's chief destroyers, although Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was crucial with the little master taking two wickets for 26 runs in his six-over spell before lunch.

Khan finished with match figures of seven for 122 off 37.3 overs after taking five for 65 in the first innings. Harbhajan ended with seven for 102 off 56 overs after taking four for 59 in New Zealand's second innings.

Taylor (69) and Franklin (26) resumed in windy, overcast conditions when play began half-an-hour early following Monday's early finish.

The pair added a further 59 runs to the overnight score of 167 for four before Taylor was bowled by Harbhajan for 107.

The pair put on 142 runs in total, the highest fifth-wicket partnership by New Zealanders against India.

Taylor brought up his fourth Test century with a four down fine leg - his fourth boundary of the morning and 15th in total.

But two overs later he was cleaned bowled by the off-spinner to leave New Zealand on 226 for five, still needing 391 to win.

Tendulkar bowled a good six-over spell, taking two wickets of- Brendon McCullum and Franklin- for 26 runs.

Brendon McCullum (six) was caught by Rahul Dravid via the gloves of Dhoni off the bowling of Sachin Tendulkar.

The part-time spinner would have had the Black Caps vice-captain out without scoring had Munaf Patel made the catch at mid-off a few overs earlier.

Franklin, who survived an lbw shout by Khan early in the day,  he finally got the all-rounder leg before wicket one run shy of his third half-century.

Tim Southee (three) lasted 13 balls before being given out caught behind by Dhoni off Harbhajan.

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 379 (S. Tendulkar 62, H. Singh 60, M.S. Dhoni 52, C. Martin 4-98, I. O'Brien 2-89)

New Zealand 1st innings 197 (R. Taylor 42, T. McIntosh 32, Z. Khan 5-65, Harbhajan Singh 3-43)

India 2nd innings 434-7 declared (G. Gambhir 167, C. Martin 3-70)

New Zealand 2nd innings

T. McIntosh c Dravid b Khan 4
M. Guptill lbw Harbhajan 49
D. Flynn b Khan 10
R. Taylor b Harbajhan 107
J. Ryder c Dravid b Harbhajan 0
J. Franklin lbw Tendulkar 49
B. McCullum c Dravid b Tendulkar 6
D. Vettori not out 15
T. Southee c Dhoni B Harbhajan 3
I. O'Brien not out 19
Extras b 10, lb 2, w 1, nb 6 19
Total 8 wickets, 94.3 overs 281

Fall of wkts 1-30, 2-54, 3-84, 4-84, 5-226, 6-244, 7-253, 8-258

Bowling

Khan 19.3-6-57-2, Patel 13-4-22-0, Sharma 12-2-57-0, Harbhajan Singh 33-8-59-4, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-4-0, Sehwag 7-0-25-0, Tendulkar 9-0-45-2

Match position draw

Series India won 1-0

IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 4:INDIA NEED SIX KIWI WICKETS TO WIN THE TEST

India need only 6 kiwi wickets for their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 after the hosts lost four second-innings wickets still needing 450 runs for victory in the third Test here Monday.

New Zealand were struggling at 167 for four when bad light stopped the play almost an hour early on the fourth day, after being set a massive target of 617 to win the final Test.

India had a 1-0 lead coming into the Test at the Basin Reserve and a draw would be enough to clinch their first series win in New Zealand for more than four decades.

Victory for New Zealand is out of reach, with the highest fourth innings winning total in Test cricket history being 418 scored by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.

New Zealand's remaining batsmen will have to face the extremely difficult task of trying to survive the final day.

But rain may give them a good chance of taking the match into  a draw.

The New Zealand second innings threatened to fall apart after lunch, until Ross Taylor offered some strong resistance, continuing to play his shots on the way to an unbeaten on 69 at stumps.

Allrounder James Franklin was not out on 26. The pair put on 83 runs partnership for the fifth wicket to avoid an embarrassing rout of defeat, after New Zealand had collapsed to 84 for four.

The destroyers of New Zealand's first innings, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh,also destroyed New Zealand's top order in the early afternoon in the second innings,taking two for 50 and two for 35 respectively.

Earlier Monday, India declared at 434 for seven in its second innings to ensure a massive lead.

India's second innings was built by a magnificent 167 by opener Gautam Gambhir, who batted for nearly six hours Saturday and Sunday for his second century of the series.

India resumed at 349 for five on Monday and added another 85 runs, with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ending unbeaten on 56 before he declared 75 minutes into the morning session.

Yuvraj  scored a quick 40, including three consecutive fours and a six off one Iain O'Brien over.

Chris Martin had the best return for the New Zealand bowlers, finishing with three for 70 from 22 overs.

In reply, New Zealand lost their first wicket before lunch with opener Tim McIntosh becoming pace bowler Khan's sixth victim for the match.

McIntosh also became Rahul Dravid's world record 182nd catching victim after the batsman edged Khan into to the slips in the 11th over.

The veteran 36-year-old Dravid registered the world record for Test catches by a fielder, previously held by Australia's Mark Waugh.

Daniel Flynn also fell to Khan in the eighth over after lunch, getting an inside edge on a ball seaming into him, which then kissed into his pad and on to the stumps.

Taylor having scored just nine runs,survived an appeal for caught at short leg after initially being given out by umpire Simon Taufel in H arbhajan’s bowling.

Taufel had second thoughts, and referred the decision to the television umpire who ruled the ball hit the ground as it was scooped up by Gambhir.

Harbhajan soon struck back in the 31st over, trapping opener Martin Guptill lbw for 49 and getting a second wicket just two balls later.

Jesse Ryder suffered his second failure of the match -- following a century in the first Test and a double hundred in the second -- edging the offspinner to Dravid for a duck.

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 379 (S. Tendulkar 62, H. Singh 60, M.S. Dhoni 52, C. Martin 4-98, I. O'Brien 2-89)

New Zealand 1st innings 197 (R. Taylor 42, T. McIntosh 32, Z. Khan 5-65, Harbhajan Singh 3-43)

India 2nd innings

G. Gambhir lbw O'Brien 167
V. Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12
R. Dravid c McCullum b Vettori 60
S. Tendulkar c Taylor b Vettori 9
VVS Laxman b O'Brien 61
Y. Singh c Taylor b Martin 40
MS Dhoni not out 56
H. Singh c Southee b Martin 0
Z. Khan not out 18
Extras lb 5, w 1, nb 5 11
Total 7 wickets declared, 116 overs 434

Fall of wkts 1-14, 2-184, 3-208, 4-314, 5-319, 6-397, 7-397

Bowling

Southee 12-2-58-0, Martin 22-7-70-3, O'Brien 25-6-100-2, Franklin 16-3-72-0, Ryder 6-1-21-0, Vettori 35-5-108-2

New Zealand 2nd innings

T. McIntosh c Dravid b Khan 4
M. Guptill lbw Harbhajan 49
D. Flynn b Khan 10
R. Taylor not out 69
J. Ryder c Dravid b Harbhajan 0
J. Franklin not out 26
Extras b 6, nb 3 9
Total four wickets, 56 overs 167

Fall of wkts 1-30, 2-54, 3-84, 4-84

Bowling

Khan 15-4-50-2, Patel 11-4-18-0, Sharma 6-1-33-0, Harbhajan Singh 17-5-36-2, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-4-0, Sehwag 6-0-20-0

Match position

India 379 and 434-7 declared, New Zealand 197 and 167-4

Series India lead 1-0

STEYN,PARNELL CRUSH AUSTRALIA IN THE 2ND ODI

Opening bowlers Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell produced devastating performances as South Africa bounced back with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the second one-day international against Australia at Centurion Park here on Sunday.

Australia were bowled out for 131 after their top order batsmen were blown away by Steyn and the teenaged Parnell.

South Africa needed just 26.2 overs to level the five-match series after being beaten by 141 runs in the opening clash in Durban on Friday.

Australia crashed to 19 for five before Callum Ferguson led a partial recovery, making 50.

Steyn took four for 27 and the left-armed Parnell, 19, claimed four for 25 in his second one-day international.

Steyn started the slide when he bowled Brad Haddin off an inside edge with the sixth ball of the match.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting hit the first ball he faced from Steyn for six but made only two more runs before edging a drive against Parnell to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Man-of-the-match Parnell dismissed Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey leg before wicket with full deliveries that swung late and had figures of three for three after four overs, while Steyn had David Hussey caught behind.

Ferguson and Mitchell Johnson put on 63 off 107 balls for the seventh wicket in the only substantial partnership of the innings before Johnson was deceived by a doosra from off-spinner Johan Botha.

Ferguson made 50 off 83 balls before falling to a vicious lifter from Steyn in the fast bowler's second spell, gloving a catch to backward point.

Ponting won the toss and batted on a hard, almost grassless pitch that looked ideal for batting. But the Australian batsmen were undone by the pace and swing generated by Steyn and Parnell.

Herschelle Gibbs fell early to Johnson but South African captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis put on 69 for the second wicket to take their team more than half way to the target.

Needing wickets to have any chance of salvaging the match, Ponting bowled out Johnson, his main strike bowler, inside the first 22 overs. Johnson took two for 47 in his 10 overs.

Parnell, who was awarded a contract by Cricket South Africa last week, was one of three changes in the South African team. Kallis returned after a groin injury and left-arm slow bowler Roelof van der Merwe was given a first one-day international cap.

Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini were left out.

SCOREBOARD

Australia

B. Haddin  b Steyn 1
M. Clarke lbw b Parnell 5
R. Ponting c Boucher b Parnell 8
D. Hussey c Boucher b Steyn 1
M. Hussey lbw b Parnell 3
C. Ferguson c De Villiers b Steyn 50
J. Hopes c Botha b Kallis 8
M. Johnson lbw b Botha 30
N. Hauritz c Boucher b Steyn 10
N. Bracken c Gibbs b Parnell 5
B. Laughlin  not out 1
Extras  (lb2, nb1, w6) 9
Total  (40.2 overs) 131

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-11, 3-14, 4-19, 5-19, 6-40, 7-103, 8-124, 9-129

Bowling:

Steyn 9.2-0-27-4
Parnell 8-3-25-4
Kallis 4-0-11-1
A. Morkel 5-0-15-0
Botha 9-0-29-1
Van der Merwe 5-0-22-0

South Africa

G. Smith c Clarke b Laughlin 40
H. Gibbs c Hauritz b Johnson 2
J. Kallis c Haddin b Johnson 31
A. de Villiers  not out 36
J. Duminy  not out 11
Extras  (lb6, w6) 12
Total  (3 wkts, 26.2 overs) 132

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-76, 3-93

Bowling:

Johnson 10-0-47-2
Bracken 4-0-23-0
Laughlin 7.2-1-30-1
Hauritz 5-0-26-0

Did not bat: M. Boucher, A. Morkel, R. van der Merwe, J. Botha, W. Parnell, D. Steyn

Result: South Africa won by 7 wickets

Series: Five-match series level at 1-1

Umpires: Asoka de Silva (SRI), Brian Jerling (RSA). TV umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

HIGHLIGHTS:IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 3

HIGHLIGHTS:IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 2

HIGHLIGHTS:IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 1

IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:3RD DAY:GAMBHIR’S TON GIVES INDIA MASSIVE LEAD

 

Opener Gautam Gambhir scored a magnificent 167 to close the door of New Zealand's faint hopes of saving the series in the third and deciding cricket Test here Sunday.

India were 531 runs ahead of New Zealand and had reached 349 for five in their second innings when bad light stopped play on the third day at the Basin Reserve.

Gambhir and Rahul Dravid put on 170 runs in a second-wicket partnership. Dravid- The Wall-, brought up his 57th half century in uncharacteristically flamboyant style, hitting Southee for consecutive fours behind square and through mid-wicket.

 

The partnership ended soon after lunch with Dravid's dismissal for a patient 60. The New Zealand wicketkeeper –Brandin McCullum-saw Dravid was shaping for a paddle-sweep shot off Vettori and moved quickly across to the leg side, where he was in a perfect position to take the catch.

But after the cheap dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar for nine, VVS Laxman joined Gambhir to add another 106 runs for the fourth wicket.

 

The 27-year-old Gambhir batted for nearly seven hours for his sixth Test century, hitting 16 fours and two sixes in a nearly faultess display.

He brought up his hundred by stroking Tim Southee through the covers for a boundary in the second over after lunch and smashed the next ball through the gully for another four.

 

New Zealand captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori captured two wickets in the eight overs after lunch.

Iain O'Brien took the vital wicket of Gambhir in the first over of his new spell, trapping him lbw after a slightly angled shortish ball straightened on the batsman.

O'Brien struck again in his next over with an in-swinging ball of good length going between Laxman's bat and pad to smash into the stumps.

 

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not out 16 and Yuvraj Singh was on 15 at stumps.

New Zealand have been on the back foot since Saturday, when they were dismissed cheaply for 197 in reply to India's first innings total of 379.

The tourists lead the series 1-0 and need only a draw from this final Test to ensure their first series win in New Zealand since 1968, with only weather likely to save New Zealand from a heavy loss.

 

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 379

New Zealand 1st innings 197

India 2nd innings

G. Gambhir lbw O'Brien 167
V. Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12
R. Dravid c McCullum b Vettori 60
S. Tendulkar c Taylor b Vettori 9
VVS Laxman b O'Brien 61
Y. Singh not out 15
MS Dhoni not out 16
Extras lb 5, nb 4 9
Total for 5 wkts, 97.5 overs 349

Fall of wkts 1-14, 2-184, 3-208, 4-314, 5-319

Bowling

Southee 12-2-58-0, Martin 15.5-5-50-1, O'Brien 22-6-77-2, Franklin 13-3-50-0, Ryder 6-1-21-0, Vettori 29-4-88-2

 

Series: India lead 1-0