The Hamilton Test: India end their Kiwiland Drought

The last time India won a test in New Zealand was back in 1976, and as with yesterday in Hamilton, it was a legendary offspinner who masterminded NZ's demise. Erapalli Prasanna recorded his best ever test figures of 8 for 76 then at Eden Park, and though Harbhajan Singh's six wicket haul will forever be overshadowed by his 2001 feats, it is his best return abroad to date. That '76 series ended in a 1-1 draw as NZ hit back in the final test at the Basin; but what has largely been forgotten over the years is that it marked the first great demolition job of a certain 24 year old, RJ Hadlee, whose 7 for 23 condemned the tourists to an innings defeat. While the present NZ attack is big on effort, there doesn't appear to be a quick youngster on the immediate horizon capable of ripping apart this Indian lineup, which is why India will be confident of winning this rubber.

The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

That answer is forty-two, as made famous in the book/BBC TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Appropriately, in the face of all the questions and talk regarding the timing of his retirement, it is also the current tally of test centuries scored by Sachin Tendulkar. He rarely looked in trouble during the course of his matchwinning 160, which was a fitting reply to the insinuations that he does not contribute enough to his team's victories. No player can be worshipped as fervently in India as Sachin, so it follows that no player can be under the Indian critical microscope as much as him. But he has slipped so comfortably into the role of elder statesman in recent years, it is hard to level any charges of "going in for easy runs" against him. Trademark Sachin was mostly on view; punches down the ground, the uppercut over the slips cordon whenever it was pitched short, the studied defending which held the innings together, and the capitalising on the occasional rubbish dished out by the bowlers, Kyle Mills in particular.

While the kiwi bowlers were persistent but not threatening, receiving little help from the wicket, it was the sheer difference in class and experience of the batting lineups which meant that NZ couldn't force a draw. The Indian innings was built around a Tendulkar regular, with Zaheer Khan's cameo at the end an added bonus; but the kiwi innings never clicked as a unit. They needed one person to grind it out and make a big century, not an impossible task on the given pitch, and although Daniel Flynn did an admirable job in the second innings, it wasn't enough. The batsmen mostly gave their wickets away to disciplined bowling, notably Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill in the second innings. The centuries from the blade of Ryder and Vettori made for delightful viewing, but they were counterattcking gems which merely saved their team from embarrassment. What was really needed was a crease occupying marathon which could steer the side to safety. Ryder, though, looks the real deal as an international batsman. Hopefully, we'll see more (on-field) damage from him over the next two tests.

The Turbanator's Day Out

For any offie who relies on loop and bounce, the fourth-day scenario was a dream one. While the pitch wasn't turning square, Harbhajan Singh had a huge 200 plus lead to play with, and was up against a set of mostly tentative, leaden-footed batsmen. His dismissal of Ryder, an LBW from a straightening around-the-wicket delivery, was an excellent breakthrough against the run of play (and will also raise questions over the said batsman's pedigree against spin). He also sufficiently troubled Daniel Flynn and Brendon McCullum, the best of the kiwi batters in the second innings.

How Daniel Vettori must wish he were presented with such a platform. His bowlers exploiting ideal conditions on the first day, restricting the opposition to a low score; the batsmen applying themselves to carve out a huge lead, so that the same scenario which Harbhajan enjoyed might be available to him against a formidable lineup. But the fact remains, because his top order has not learned to translate potential into determined performance yet, as a bowler he never has enough runs to play with. He carries the burden of being the side's premier strike and stock bowler, which undermines his effectiveness in that department. Add to this his captaincy and consistent contributions to the batting, it's a wonder he doesn't feel the need for a break.

As with the Trent Bridge test of 2007, India's seamers were the ones who set up the win on the first day itself, utilising the moderate assistance in the wicket to the full. While it would be exaggeration to say that one session alone decided this test, it is very hard to recover from the depths of 60 for 6, as the kiwis found. By seizing the crucial moments of this test, India confirmed their reputation as a top-notch test side, while NZ's climb up the rankings continues to be a painful one.