INDIA WRAP UP THE SERIES WITH HUGE INNINGS VICTORY

India registered an excellant innings-and-198-run victory over New Zealand on day four of the third and final Test match in Nagpur to clinch the series 1-0.
Having declared on 566 for eight on day three in reply to New Zealand's 193, India dismissed the Black Caps for just 175. Indians dominated the game throughout.
New Zealand resumed on 24 for one but were bowled out in just 51.2 overs.
Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh both took three wickets each.
Tim Southee (31), Ross Taylor (29), Brendon McCullum (25) and Jesse Ryder (22) all made starts but no batsman could resist longer.
Sharma returned figures of three for 15.Harbhajan Singh had a memorable series, in which he scored two centuries and a half-century, by taking three for 56.
There were two wickets for Pragyan Ojha .
Suresh Raina, who dismissed Ryder and Daniel Vettori (13) to return figures of two for one in two overs.
The first two matches, in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, were both drawn.

McIntosh’s Ton put New Zealand in a fine position

Tim McIntosh’s second Test century enabled New Zealand in a good position to end day one of the second Test against India in Hyderabad on 258 for four.He fell minutes before the close of play.

The left-handed opener faced 254 balls before inside-edging a wide Zaheer Khan delivery into his stumps.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, New Zealand lost opener Brendon McCullum for four when he edged Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But a partnership of 147 between McIntosh and Martin Guptill (85) saw New Zealand hit back.Guptill, faced 160 balls, hitting nine fours and a six in his blazing knock.McIntosh hit ten fours and a six in a patient knock.

Guptill's was trapped in front by Pragyan Ojha.

Ross Taylor made 24 before he fell to the combination of Zaheer and Dhoni.

Unbeaten at stumps on 22 was Jesse Ryder, and yet to score was wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins as Zaheer returned figures of two for 41.

ENGLAND WINS ASHES

 

England has regained the Ashes from Australia by hammering them in the fifth and the final test match at the Oval. England needed to win the game to win the urn, whereas a draw would have sufficed for Australia, but the hosts required only four days to hand over a 197-run drubbing to the Aussies.
The Aussies looked like they were making a match out of it when they reached 80/0 overnight, but two quick wickets in the first one hour put paid to any hopes that existed. Ricky Ponting was then joined by Michael Hussey as the duo added more than hundred runs to bring the Australian hopes back. Ponting scored a half century and Hussey followed up with his, soon after that, but the captain was then run-out from a direct throw by Andrew Flintoff to let the English team back into the reckoning.

Michael Clarke’s amazing run in the series ended with a duck when he was run-out in a manner akin to Jonathon Trott’s dismissal in the first innings, and Marcus North departed soon after to leave the Aussies with nothing much to play with.

Hussey did get to his century and broke his long rut of form that had seen his average plummet like anything in the last one year or so, but the remaining batsmen collapsed under sustained pressure from Graeme Swann and the others to hand the Ashes back to England.

Stuart Broad’s spell had seen the English garner a 160-odd run lead in the first innings and that won him the man-of-the-match award, whereas Strauss and Clarke shared the man-of-the-series.

AUS LEVELS THE ASHES SERIES BY CRUSHING ENGLAND IN 4TH TEST

 

 

 

Australia thrashed England by an innings and 80 runs as they won the fourth Test at Headingley here on Sunday inside three days to level the series at 1-1 and revive their bid to retain the Ashes.
The result left the Ashes all square ahead of the fifth and final Test at The Oval starting on August 20.
England, who resumed Sunday in the dire position of 82 for five in their second innings, still 261 runs behind Australia's first innings 445 and facing the prospect of a record-breaking home defeat, were bowled out for 263.
Stuart Broad (61) and Graeme Swann (62) delayed the seemingly inevitable with an eighth-wicket stand of 108 off 79 balls that delighted home fans after the pair had come together with England on 120 for seven,
At lunch, England were 245 for eight, 98 behind, with Swann 56 not out and Stephen Harmison six not out.
But soon after the break Swann on 62, one shy of his Test-best score, was caught behind off left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, who took five wickets for 69 runs in the innings.
Johnson then wrapped up the match in the sixth over after lunch when he clean bowled last man Graham Onions for nought.

England started the day with nightwatchman James Anderson unbeaten on nought and wicket-keeper Matthew Prior four not out.
Anderson, off Sunday's second ball, extended his world record for most consecutive Test innings without a duck to 54 thanks to a square cut four off Ben Hilfenhaus for four.
But next ball he edged to Ponting at second slip.
Prior offered brief resistance before he too fell to Hilfenhaus, for 22, well caught one-handed by diving wicket-keeper Brad Haddin to leave England 120 for seven.
Pace bowler Broad, who took a Test-best six for 91 on Saturday, was given a life on 18 when Peter Siddle at mid-off dropped a difficult chance, running back, off left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson.
Broad's four off Stuart Clark ensured England would not suffer Sunday a record home Test defeat by Australia to top their innings and 180 run loss at Trent Bridge in 1989.
Driving strongly, left-hand bat Broad struck four fours off one Clark over as he and Swann posted a fifty stand in 51 balls.
Broad then went to his fifth Test fifty in style with an off-drive off Siddle that rocketed through mid-off to the boundary, the 23-year-old reaching landmark in 78 balls with eight fours.

Broad could have gone on 53 when a drive off Siddle saw Johnson, back-pedalling at long-off, drop the difficult chance and knock the ball over the boundary for four and on 57 he was missed at long leg by Simon Katich.
He eventually holed out off Siddle to Shane Watson in the deep having faced 48 balls with 10 fours.
But Swann hooked Siddle for six to bring up his fifty in just 53 balls with 10 fours.
Siddle whose first six overs this innings on Saturday yielded just four runs, conceded 46 in his six overs before lunch on Sunday.
England, without injured stars Andrew Flintoff - the inspiration behind their 115-run second Test win at Lord's - and Kevin Pietersen, were on the backfoot after collapsing to 102 all out on Friday's first day.
Clark took three wickets for 18 runs on his return to international cricket and Siddle a Test-best five for 21.
Australia, in reply, were 151 for four, just 49 runs ahead, before a stand of 152 between Marcus North, whose 110 was his second century of the series, and vice-captain Michael Clarke (93) all but doubled the score.
England slumped for the second time Saturday, in a match where top-order batsmen Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood managed just 16 runs between them, losing five wickets for 20 runs in 44 balls.

Final scoreboard on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test:
England 1st Innings 102 (P Siddle 5-21, S Clark 3-18)
Australia 1st Innings 445 (M North 110, M Clarke 93, R Ponting 78, S Watson 51; S Broad 6-91)
England 2nd Innings (overnight: 82-5)

A. Strauss
lbw b Hilfenhaus
32

A. Cook
c Haddin b Johnson
30

R. Bopara
lbw b Hilfenhaus
0

I. Bell
c Ponting b Johnson
3

P. Collingwood
lbw b Johnson
4

J. Anderson
c Ponting b Hilfenhaus
4

M. Prior
c Haddin b Hilfenhaus
22

S. Broad
c Watson b Siddle
61

G. Swann
c Haddin b Johnson
62

S. Harmison
not out
19

G. Onions
b Johnson
0

Extras
(b5, lb5, w5, nb11)
26

Total
(all out, 61.3 overs, 292 mins)
263

Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Strauss), 2-58 (Bopara), 3-67 (Bell), 4-74 (Collingwood), 5-78 (Cook), 6-86 (Anderson), 7-120 (Prior), 8-228 (Broad), 9-259 (Swann), 10-263 (Onions)
Bowling:

Hilfenhaus
19-2-60-4 (9nb)

Siddle
12-2-50-1 (1nb, 5w)

Clark
11-1-74-0 (1nb)

Johnson
19.3-3-69-5

Result: Australia won by innings and 80 runs

SANGAKKARA STEERS SRI LANKA TO A DRAW

 

 

Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan here on Friday and win his first series as captain.
The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391-4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club.
The rock solid Sangakarra's 19th Test century featured a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thilan Samaraweera (73) and 114 for the unbroken fifth with Angelo Mathews (64 not out).
Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts, and provided Sangakkara with a winning start as captain after he took over from Mahela Jayawardene in April.
Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours on a placid pitch to frustrate Pakistan's bid to record a face-saving win ahead of the five-match one-day series starting at Dambulla on July 30.

The two teams went into the last session of the match with Sri Lanka needing 154 runs from a possible 38 overs to record a record-breaking win and Pakistan requiring six wickets.
The hosts gave an indication they would prefer to settle for a draw when they made just 76 runs from 26 overs in the two hours after lunch.
Play was finally called off when 15 overs remained with Sri Lanka needing a further 101 runs.
It was the first time in the series that play went into the fifth day after the tourists lost the first Test in four days and the second in three.
Sangakkara and Samaraweera, who resumed the day at 183-3, batted through the morning session to take Sri Lanka to 262 without further loss by lunch.

The pair made a cautious start in the morning, scoring 50 runs in 21 overs before Pakistan captain Younus Khan took the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 81st over.
Samaraweera welcomed the change by driving the first delivery from Umar Gul to the cover fence and executing another perfect off-drive from the last ball of the over.
Sri Lanka suffered a setback soon after lunch when Samaraweera strained a hamstring while taking a single and called for a runner.
Samaraweera was dismissed  when he failed to read a straight ball from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and nicked an easy catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Scoreboard

Pakistan 1st innings 299
Khurram Manzoor 93, Mohammad Yousuf 90, T. Thushara 5-83

Sri Lanka 1st innings 233
K. Sangakkara 45, M. Jayawardene 79, D. Kaneria 5-62

Pakistan 2nd innings 425-9 decl
Shoaib Malik 134, Kamran Akmal 74, R. Herath 5-157

Sri Lanka 2nd innings

T. Paranavitana c Alam b Malik 73

M. Warnapura c Malik b Kaneria 31

K. Sangakkara not out 130

M. Jayawardene c Akmal b Kaneria 2

T. Samaraweera c Akmal b Ajmal 73

A. Mathews not out 64

Extras
b1, lb7, nb9, w1
18

Total
for 4 wkts
391

Fall of wkts
1-83, 2-139, 3-155, 4-277

Bowling

Gul 12-0-65-0 (nb5), Aamer 21-5-46-0 (nb1), Younus 8-0-25-0 (w1), Ajmal 43-9-95-1, Malik 14-1-38-1 (nb3), Kaneria 36-3-114-2

SAKIB’S CAPTAIN INNING LEADS BANGLADESH TO THEIR FIRST OVERSEAS SERIES WIN

 

 

 

Bangladeshi stand-in captain Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with 96 not out as his side beat the West Indies in the second and final test here on Monday and he declared the 2-0 series win was the biggest thing for the cricket side in nine years.
Shakib hit the winning runs in style with a six to seal a first ever series win away from home - admittedly against a weakened and inexperienced West Indies side after the senior players boycotted the series over a pay dispute - and the first time they have won two successive tests.
Shakib and Raqibul Hasan made 65 - both career bests - to set things up for the Tigers, as they successfully chased 215 for victory to win by four wickets and claim only their second ever series win.

Bangladesh were wobbling on 67 for four about half-hour before the tea break, but Shakib joined Raqibul and they put Bangladesh solidly on course for victory with a stand of 106 for the fifth wicket either side of tea.
Raqibul reached his 50 from 74 balls, when he steered Dave Bernard Jr to third man for his seventh fourth.
About 25 minutes later, Shakib arrived at his landmark, when he drove Kemar Roach for his seventh boundary and the first of three in succession in the fast bowler's 11th over.
But Raqibul became the fourth of five wickets for 55 runs in 16 overs for Darren Sammy, when he gave an easy return catch with Bangladesh still needing 44.
He batted for a shade under three hours, faced 99 balls, and struck eight fours and one six.

Diminutive wicketkeeper/batsman Mushfiqur Rahim joined Shakib and inched Bangladesh closer in the 40 minutes he spent at the crease before he too, drove back a simple return catch to Sammy to leave the Tigers 14 short of the magic number, but they had no last-minute jitters and duly crossed over the threshold.

Before lunch, Bangladesh had made a steady start and reached 17 without loss, after they completed the demolition of the West Indies batting, following a delayed start.
Shakib, who also captured the Man-of-the-Series award, finished with five wickets for 70 runs from 24.5 overs, and fellow left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Jr ended with three for 48 from 17 overs.

FLINTOFF LEADS ENGLAND TO VICTORY

 

 

 

Andrew Flintoff took five wickets as England finally ended their 75-year wait for an Ashes victory at Lord's with a 115-run win over Australia on the final day of the second Test here on Monday.
Victory saw England take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series having clung on for a draw in Cardiff.
Australia set a mammoth 522 to win - a target that had they achieved it would have surpassed the fourth innings Test world record victory total of 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03 - were bowled out for 406 shortly before lunch on the fifth day.
Fast bowler Flintoff, who before this match announced he would retire from Test cricket at the end of this series, took five wickets for 92 runs in 27 overs, including three for 43 in 10 overs Monday.
It was only the third time in the 31-year-old all-rounder's 77-Test career he'd taken five wickets in a Test innings.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann provided good support with four for 87.
Michael Clarke did his best to deny England with a superb innings of 136 but ultimately could not prevent the hosts beating Australia in a Test at Lord's for the first time since 1934, when they won by an innings and 38 runs. 

Australia resumed on 313 for five, 209 runs adrift of their target, with Clarke 125 not out and Brad Haddin 80 not out.
But starting again is never easy and they were unable to add to a stand worth 185 with Haddin out for his overnight score.
Haddin edged the 10th ball of the morning, fast bowler Flintoff's fourth, straight to Paul Collingwood who took a good low catch at second slip.
Flintoff was now fired up and hit Clarke on the head with a bouncer, as the batsman took his eye off the ball, before beating him on the outside edge.

New batsman Mitchell Johnson was fortunate on four, after being completely deceived by a Flintoff slower ball that struck him on the pad, that veteran umpire Rudi Koertzen, standing in his 100th Test, had correctly called no-ball.
But it was Swann who, with his second ball Monday, took the wicket England craved when he beat Clarke in the air as the batsman went down the pitch and bowled him off-stump to end the Australia vice-captain's innings of more than five hours.
Flintoff then bowled Nathan Hauritz for one as the batsman shouldered arms and Australia were 363 for eight.
Flintoff, the star of England's 2005 Ashes series win, though then completed only the third five-wicket haul of his Test career when he bowled Peter Siddle, and celebrated by going down on one knee with his arms outstretched after leaving his side on the brink of victory.
Fast bowler Johnson, who'd struggled with the ball, defied England with a 62-ball fifty.
But Swann, who dropped a difficult caught and bowled chance off Johnson, bowled him for 63 to seal England's victory.

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

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

IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 2: ZAHEER DESTROYED NEW ZEALAND’S BATTING LINE-UP,INDIA IN A DRIVER SEAT

India took a big step towards winning their first Test series in New Zealand since 1968 after taking a 233-run lead early in their second innings of the third Test here on Saturday.

India were on 51 for one at stumps on the second day after dismissing New Zealand for 197 in reply to the tourists' first innings total of 379.

Pace bowler Zaheer Khan did most of the damage to New Zealand, taking five for 65 with a mixture of swinging full pitched balls and a bunch of shorter deliveries.

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh was another of India's heroes, bowling 23 consecutive overs at a scoring rate of less than two an over to end with three for 43.

Wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's role, taking six catches behind the stumps to support his bowlers on a Basin Reserve pitch,which offered more bounce than the flat deck in the drawn second match in Napier.

 

The Kiwis had renewed confidence after drawing the second Test in the wake of their 10-wicket drubbing in the first match, but their plans were failed soon after their opening batsmen came to the crease.

There were only limited signs of resistance from New Zealand, mostly from Taylor before he was given out caught behind by umpire Daryl Harper.

An attempted leg glance off Harbhajan ended in Dhoni's gloves and Harper's finger went up. While replays suggested Taylor did not get bat on ball, the batsman admitted later he had got a faint nick.

Opening batsman Tim McIntosh made a scratchy 32 before he was surprised by a rising short ball from Khan, which ballooned off the top of his bat to Yuvraj Singh at first slip.

Soon after lunch, New Zealand found themselves struggling at 80-3 and many hopes rested on in form batsman Jesse Ryder, the hero of the second Test with a double century.

But due to his lack of concentration, he took a wild swipe at a short pitched Khan ball, sending a simple edge to Dhoni after scoring just three.

 

India extended their lead in their second innings with Gautam Gambhir unbeaten at stumps on 28 and Rahul Dravid not out on nine.

Typically aggressive opener Virender Sehwag was the only wicket to fall, caught by Taylor at first slip after a short ball from Chris Martin seamed into him and ballooned off his glove.

Sehwag hit two consecutive fours off Martin before falling for 12 off just seven balls.

 

On Friday India had recovered from 204 for six shortly after tea on the first day to reach 375 for nine at stumps.

But the final pairing of Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel could only add another four runs on Saturday morning.

Sharma fell to pace bowler Martin, who finished with four for 98 from his 25.1 overs.

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 379

S. Tendulkar 62, M.S. Dhoni 52, H. Singh 60,

Martin 4-98, O'Brien 2-89

New Zealand 1st innings

T. McIntosh c Y. Singh b Khan 32
M. Guptill b Khan 17
D. Flynn c Dhoni b Khan 2
R. Taylor c Dhoni b Harbhajan 42
J. Ryder c Dhoni b Khan 3
J. Franklin c Sehwag b Harhajan 15
B. McCullum c Dhoni b Harbhajan 24
D. Vettori c Dhoni b Sharma 11
T. Southee c and b Khan 16
I. O'Brien c Dhoni b Patel 19
C. Martin not out 4
Extras b9, lb3 12
Total for all out 197

Fall of wkts 1-21, 2-31, 3-80, 4-98, 5-120, 6-125, 7-138, 8-160, 9-181, 10-197

Bowling

Zaheer Khan 18-2-65-5, Sharma 14-3-47-1, Patel 8-2-20-1, Harbhajan Singh 23-4-43-3, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-10-0

India 2nd innings

G. Ghambir not out 28
V. Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12
R. Dravid not out 9
Extras lb2 2
Total for one wkt 51

Fall of wkt 1-14

Bowling

Southee 3-0-13-0, Martin 4-2-13-1, O'Brien 5-2-8-0, Franklin 3-0-15-0, Ryder 1-1-0-0

IND VS NZ:3RD TEST:DAY 1:TAILENDERS GAVE INDIA THE EDGE ON THE FIRST DAY

India's tail showed an extraordinary performance on the first day of the third and deciding Test against New Zealand here Friday to ensure the tourists reached a respectable 375 for nine at stumps.

By stumps, Sachin Tendulkar's 62 — his 53rd Test half-century & 95th score over 50— Harbhajan Singh's defiant 60, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 52 and Virender Sehwag's 48 were India's highest scores.

India leads the three-test series 1-0 after winning the first test at Hamilton by 10 wickets and the second Test at Napier was drawn. The visitors are trying to win their first series in New Zealand since 1968.

India picked up the pace in the final session, adding 185 runs for the loss of four wickets, with the tailenders riding their luck in an aggressive show with the bat during the final hour.

Harbhajan finished with the second top score of 60 from 78 balls and importantly put on 79 runs with Dhoni (52), who was returning from a back injury that kept him out of the team in the drawn second Test.

Tendulkar made a 90-run partnership for the third wicket with Rahul Dravid (35), while Sehwag shared a 73-run opening stand with Gautam Gambhir (23) and Dhoni and Harbhajan added 79 for the seventh wicket.

The most damaging stands from New Zealand's point of view were those between Dhoni and Harbhajan, which prevents its strong second-session comeback, and also the late partnership involving Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan.

In a day of fluctuating fortunes, New Zealand's bowlers fought hard on a batting-friendly pitch as captain Daniel Vettori gambled to bowl first. New Zealand felt its best chance of leveling the series would come from bowling first and placing India under pressure. Seven of the last 10 teams to win the toss at the Basin Reserve have bowled and six of the last 10 tests at the ground have been won by the team that fielded first.

India got off to a flying start through a quickfire 48 from Virender Sehwag with typical smashing shots at the top of India's order  as the tourists raced to 50 in just 41 minutes and reached 68 by the end of the first hour. Sehwag was 48 and India was 73 without loss in the first 15 overs when he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Iain O'Brien in the 16th over.
Gambhir fell lbw to James Franklin only nine balls later to leave India at 75-2.

Tendulkar and Dravid then restored the innings in a partnership which again seemed to create the dominance of bat over ball. Tendulkar played with typical fluency and class, reaching his half century from 67 balls with a square cut four off O'Brien.He made 62 runs with 11 boundaries.
Tendulkar was dismissed just 10 runs short of he and Dravid's 17th century partnership in tests — it would have surpassed the record 16 century stands shared by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes for the West Indies and Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting for Australia.

Tendulkar's dismissal provided a mini collapse which saw three wickets fall for 17 runs in the next 8.4 overs. V.V.S. Laxman was out for four and Yuvraj Singh for nine as India slipped from 165-2 to 182-5.
Dravid followed with the total at 204 after batting 182 minutes for his 35, attempting again to anchor the innings. He mistimed a pull shot to Franklin at square leg to leave India six down.

When the sixth wicket fell shortly after tea with barely 200 runs on the board, it appeared the gamble had paid off.

 

Opening bowler Chris Martin bowled hard all day to finish the best of the New Zealand attack with figures of three for 95 from 24 overs, while Tim Southee and Iain O'Brien took two wickets each.
Martin was unlucky 24 runs later when Martin Guptill put down a difficult but ultimately costly chance at gully when Harbhajan was on 14.

India's last-wicket pair of Ishant Sharma (15) and Munaf Patel (14) also defied New Zealand by adding 28 in an unbroken stand before stumps.

Scoreboard      

India 1st innings      

G. Gambhir    lbw Franklin    23      
V. Sehwag    c McCullum b O'Brien    48      
R. Dravid    c Franklin b Martin    35      
S. Tendulkar    c McCullum b Martin    62      
V. Laxman    c McIntosh b Southee    4      
Y. Singh    lbw Ryder    9      
M.S. Dhoni    c O'Brien b Southee    52      
H. Singh    c Vettori b Martin    60      
Z. Khan    c McCullum b O'Brien    33      
I. Sharma    not out    15      
M. Patel    not out    14      
Extras    b2, lb8, w3, nb7    20      
Total    for 9 wkts    375      

Fall of wkts    1-73, 2-75, 3-165, 4-173, 5-182, 6-204, 7-283, 8-315, 9-347      

Bowling      

Martin 24-3-95-3, Southee 18-1-94-2, O'Brien 21-3-88-2, Franklin 14-4-38-1, Vettori 9-1-47-0, Ryder 4-2-3-1      

3RD TEST:INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND:PREVIEW

History  would be created by India if they win the Third Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. They have won Test series in England, West Indies, and Pakistan in the last decade and now they have the chance to add New Zealand to that list. After their great escape at Napier they will be careful of similar mistakes at the Basin. They were outplayed for the first three days in the previous Test but like a true champion they transform the almost a lost match into a draw. 

Rahul Dravid has looked  like the 'Wall' as he scored  3 fifties in 4 innings on this tour. With Yuvraj too returning to form with an aggressive fifty in the last innings, India at least have their batting sorted out. The main concern of the Indian think tank would be the lack of penetration of Harbhajan Singh on flat tracks. While Munaf Patel bowled well without much luck or reward.

The Kiwis put in a much improved performance at Napier, but their inability to close out the match will concern Vettori and company. Jesse Ryder proved he is the new exciting player  by scoring a double hundred. Still the top order of the Kiwis looks quite feeble with Tim McIntosh unsure of where his next run will come from.

James Franklin  failed to grab his opportunity at Napier. 

Team news

Dhoni ran around and played some football on Thursday, but still a final call about him will be taken only on the day of the match. If he doesn't play then luckily Dinesh Karthik will get another chance. Munaf Patel has impressed so far so he should keep his place ahead of Balaji. 

NZ are thinking over the prospect of bringing in Tim Southee for Jeetan Patel, but Patel was the one who looked like taking wickets in Napier, so it might be a tossup between Southee and James Franklin for the final spot in the team. 

Pitch conditions

The Basin Reserve has been one of New Zealand's favorite hunting grounds, the chilly wind conditions  coupled with a seaming track has put the visitors into trouble, but this time the pitch looks surprisingly dry and brownish. It is expected that the pitch may break up as the match progresses which will play into India's hands. Fine weather is predicted for tomorrow while there might be isolated showers on the 4th and 5th days of the match. 

Trivia

9- Wickets needed by Daniel Vettori to complete the double of 300 wickets and 3000 Test runs  

99 - The number of victories India have in Test matches so far out of the 429 they have played 

2nd test:Ind vs nz:Match summary & Result

 

 

Match Summary

New Zealand 1^st Inning – 619/9 in 154.4 Overs

J.Ryder- 201 R.Taylor–151

I.Sharma– 27-5-95-3 Z.Khan– 34-6-129-3

India 1^st Inning – 305/10 in 93.5 Overs

R.Dravid- 83 V.V.S Laxman–76

C.Martin– 24-5-89-3 D.Vettori– 19-5-45-2

India 2^nd Inning – 476/4 in 180 Overs

G.Gambhir- 137 V.V.S Laxman–124*

J.Patel– 45-2-120-2 D.Vettori– 38-13-76-1

J.Ryder was decalred Man of the Match for his brilliant double century in the first inning.

Result:

Match ended in a Draw

India leads the series by 1-0

The next and final test of the series will be played at Basin Reserve, Wellington from 3^rd April to 7^th April.The match will start at 3:30 a.m. at IST.

2nd test:5th day:Ind vs NZ:Gambhir, Laxman ensure India's great escape

Gautam Gambhir batted nearly 11 hours for 137 and VVS Laxman made a much needed 124 not out as India reached 476 for four on Monday to draw the second Test against New Zealand, consolidating a 1-0 series lead.

Earlier,India were out for 305 in their first innings, replying to New Zealand's 619-9 declared, allowing New Zealand to enforce the follow on with more than two days of the match remaining.

India had started the day at 252-2, still trailing New Zealand by 62 runs.

New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin captured the vital wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for 64 in only the fifth over of the day , who resumed at 58.

Gambhir's innings secured the draw for India, sharing partnerships of 133 for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (62), 97 with Sachin Tendulkar (64) and 96 with Laxman.He was out trapped lbw by off spinner Jeetan Patel,in the 160th over of the innings, at 356 for four, having made the match safe for the Indian line-up.

Laxman's 14th Test century and his unbroken 120-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Yuvraj Singh (54 not out) allowed India to build a 162-run lead before their declaration ended the match an hour before scheduled stumps.

Laxman reached his 14th Test century, in 238 minutes from 187 balls with 20 fours. He made 76 in the first innings.

Yuvraj then found form with a half-century from 52 balls with nine fours.

Gambhir's marathon stay at the crease tried to take India away from the  defeat shortly after tea on Monday while Laxman and Yuvraj guided India to complete safety, a declaration and a draw.

Stats came out after play on Day four of 2nd Test

 

• Gamutam Gambhir inning of 102 runs helped him to get pass the 2000 runs mark in his test career and became the second Indian to reach the land mark in just 23 test matches after Sunil Gavaskar.
• Gautam Gambhir became only second opener to score century on New Zealand soil after little master Sunil Gavaskar.
• Dravid in his inning of 62 runs hit 15^th six of his career. His 15^th six was first since May 2007.
• Dravid century stand with Gambhir was 75^th century partnership of his career.

2ND TEST:4TH DAY:IND VS NZ:GAMBHIR’S TON STEADIES INDIAN INNING

A solid 102 from Gautam Gambhir and a stylish 58 not out from Sachin Tendulkar steered India to 252 for two by the close on day four to leave the visitors trailing by 62 runs.India have eight wickets in hand with three sessions remaining on the fifth and final day of the second Test against New Zealand.

India was  made to follow on after being bowled out for just 305 in their first innings in reply to the Black Caps' 619 for nine declared on the third day.

Unless something dramatic happens on the final day at McLean Park in Napier, the second Test appears to be heading for a draw.It means the hope of  the series win for India would remain alive, as  India lead the series by 1-0.

Dravid scored 62,  after contributing 83 to India's first innings of 305 to mark.It was his 56th half-century in Tests and the 10th occasion he has scored half-centuries in each innings of a Test match.

Gambhir was painfully slow through the 80s, spending almost 13 overs static on 83, before comparatively speeding through the 90s to reach his century in 6 hours, 39 minutes, from 265 balls with 14 fours.

Tendulkar made up for his dismissal for 49 in the first innings by reaching his 52nd Test half-century with seven fours and a streaky six.He made  a third-wicket partnership with Gambhir which had contributed 89 runs by stumps to carry the tourists to stumps in a position of comfort, if not yet of complete safety.

India's progress through the fourth day was slow.India negotiated the day with the loss of only Dravid's wicket,which was the best thing for India.Earlier,India had a threat of defeat ,but now they have strengthened their position in the three-match series which they lead 1-0.

After resuming at 47 for one, trailing New Zealand by 267 runs, India added 205 runs in 90 overs in the day, placing a higher premium on survival than accumulation.

The tourists scored only 72 runs in 33 overs before lunch, 61 runs in 30 overs between lunch and tea and 72 runs in 27 overs in the final session.

But the approach successfully frustrated New Zealand and, though captain Daniel Vettori carefully rotated his bowlers, he was unable to make a vital breakthrough into the Indian innings,except Dravid’s wicket.

Dravid, who was caught close-in on the leg side off Vettori in the 73rd over and when India were 163 for two. The ball appeared to flick Dravid's glove, hit on his pad and was caught at short leg but replays showed that the ball had missed the hand and come directly from the pad to the close-in fieldsman.

Dravid had put on 133 runs in 241 minutes with Gambhir for the second wicket, hitting six fours and a six in his third half-century in four innings in the series.

 

Match Summary (Day4 Stump)

New Zealand 1^st Inning – 619/9 in 154.4 Overs

J.Ryder- 201 R.Taylor–151

I.Sharma– 27-5-95-3 Z.Khan– 34-6-129-3

India 1^st Inning – 305/10 in 93.5 Overs

R.Dravid- 83 V.V.S Laxman–76

C.Martin– 24-5-89-3 D.Vettori– 19-5-45-2

India 2^nd Inning – 252/2 in 107 Overs

G.Gambhir- 102* S.Tendulkar–58*

J.Patel– 28-6-73-1 D.Vettori– 24-7-48-1

2nd test:3rd day:ind vs nz:INDIA IS STRUGGLING IN NAPIER

As Chris Martin damaged the Indian middle order with the second new ball on Saturday, New Zealand secured a 314-run first innings lead and enforced the follow-on in the second Test.

Martin dismissed Yuvraj Singh (0), Dinesh Karthik (6) and VVS Laxman for 76 as India were all out for 305 on Saturday replying to New Zealand's first innings of 619 for 9 declared.

At stumps India were 47 for one in the second innings, still 267 runs behind with Virender Sehwag out for 22. Gautam Gambhir (14) and Rahul Dravid (11) were the not out batsmen.

Jesse Ryder’s innings of 201 contributed the most to New Zealand's first-innings total, took catches from Martin and Iain O'Brien's bowling and claimed the vital wicket of Dravid for 83 in a three-over cameo to speed India towards dismissal.

O'Brien claimed the last two Indian wickets to fall — Harbhajan Singh for 18 and Zaheer Khan for 8 — with successive deliveries as the tourists lost their last six wickets for 59 runs in perfect batting conditions.

India resumed on Saturday at 79 for three and slipped toward the follow on despite the resistance from Sachin Tendulkar (49), Dravid (83) and Laxman (76).

Tendulkar was out before lunch, one run short of his 52nd half-century in Tests, when he edged a delivery from off-spinner Jeetan Patel to Ross Taylor at first slip.

Dravid reached his 55th Test half-century in 144 minutes off 111 balls and made a  critical partnership with Laxman.

India added only 64 runs in 30 overs between lunch and tea but, importantly, lost the wickets of Dravid and Yuvraj Singh immediately before the interval.

Dravid was out for 83, caught by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Ryder's first over.

Singh fell without scoring in the last over before tea, leaving the tourists 253-6.

New Zealand quickly wrapped up the Indian innings in the final session and with precise use of the second new ball. Martin dismissed Karthik, caught by Ryder at third slip, and Laxman, who provided the second catch at second slip for Tim McIntosh.

Patel, who already had the prized wicket of Tendulkar, dismissed Sehwag for 22 before stumps in India's second innings. Sehwag played a rash shot, sweeping across the line, and was trapped lbw when India was 30.

Gambhir and Dravid were at the crease at stumps but Indian team will have  to  face a battle to save the match with two days remaining.

2nd test:2nd day:ind vs nz:Ryder’s double century helps new zealand to take firm control

India's hopes of grabbing 100th Test victory in Napier appears to be gloomy now as New Zealand ensured firm grip on the second Test. It seems as if India has only two choices in Napier, either bow to Kiwis or to fight for a draw.
Jesse Ryder reached 201 before New Zealand's declaration at 619 for nine wickets on Friday on the second day of the second Test against India.

India were in trouble at stumps in reply, with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori claiming two wickets to reduce India to 79-3 after 23 overs,trailing New Zealand by 540 runs on day two. Vettori declared New Zealand's first innings with 90 minutes remaining in the second day's play at McLean Park.
Vettori joined the New Zealand attack after only nine overs and removed Virender Sehwag for 34 and night-watchman Ishant Sharma for 0, then took a catch from off-spinner Jeetan Patel to dismiss Gautam Gambhir for 16.
Indians still need 341 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Brendon McCullum scored 115, Vettori 55 and James Franklin 52, following Ross Taylor's 151 on the first day, compiled their third-highest test total.
Ryder was the star of the day, resuming his innings at 137 not out and batting for just over eight hours to raise the third double century and third-highest score by a New Zealander against India.
Ryder hit 24 fours and a six in his disciplined innings.
The  left-hander was then out to the next ball, bowled off an inside edge by Zaheer Khan. It was the 15th Test double century by a New Zealand player.
Ryder began his marathon inning when New Zealand was 23-3 in the 11th over Thursday, after winning the toss and batting.
He shared partnerships of 271 for the fourth wicket with Taylor, 121 for the fifth wicket with Franklin and finally 62 for the sixth wicket with McCullum.

McCullum reached his third century in Tests three balls before tea and went on to make 115 in a 128-run partnership with Vettori for the seventh wicket. His century came from 131 balls in 141 minutes and contained 11 fours.
Vettori reached a half-century with  five fours , after McCullum's dismissal  while Franklin had earlier completed his half century  with seven fours.

.

2ND TEST IND VS NZ-FIRST DAY:TONS OF ROSS AND RYDER GIVE NEW ZEALAND AN ADVANTAGE

Riding on two brilliant centuries by Ryder (137) and Taylor (151), New Zealand managed to score 351 at the loss of four wickets on Day 1 of the 2nd Test against India.
Ross Taylor scored his third Test century and Jesse Ryder his second in a record 271-run fourth-wicket partnership which lifted New Zealand out of trouble.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was ruled out of the match on Thursday with a back injury, handing the captaincy to Virender Sehwag who led India for only the second time in a Test.
Earlier, New Zealand's top order collapsed as Tim McIntosh was out, unluckily, for 12, Jamie How for 1 and Martin Guptill for 8.

Taylor and Ryder were thrown together in only the 11th over on Thursday, with New Zealand's innings in collapse at 23 for three. They pursued their partnership for the next 58.2 overs to lift the home side to 294-4 before Taylor was out for 151.
The partnership was the highest by a New Zealand pair for all wickets against India, beating 231, and the highest for New Zealand's fourth wicket against all nations, beating the previous mark of 241.

Taylor's century was his first in five Tests, since his 115 against Australia at Brisbane in November.
Taylor's innings of 262 minutes and 204 balls was still the foundation of New Zealand's strong position at stumps on day one. He had come to the crease when New Zealand were struggling  due to early collapse and was the first batsman to offer resistance to India's attack.
Taylor struggled to curb his aggressive nature and offered chances throughout his innings, before he got out finally trying to loft an attempted sweep to Yuvraj Singh on the square leg boundary off Harbhajan Singh in the final session.

Ryder, in contrast, played a composed and technically expert innings, limiting his scoring shots to precise and predetermined areas and offering few opportunities to the fielding side.
Ryder was unbeaten on 137 at stumps, having batted more than seven hours for his second century in consecutive Tests after his 102 at Hamilton, where India won by 10 wickets.