A combination of bad light and an obdurate fifth-wicket partnership held up India’s victory charge at the Basin Reserve after they had set New Zealand a target of 617

The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran06-Apr-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMS Dhoni’s half-century provided the impetus for India in the morning•Associated PressThere was a world record for Rahul Dravid and four wickets before tea but a combination of bad light and an obdurate fifth-wicket partnership held up India’s victory charge at the Basin Reserve after they had set NewZealand a target of 617. Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh took two wicketsapiece and New Zealand’s hopes of surviving into the final day restedlargely with Ross Taylor, who played some swashbuckling strokes on his wayto 69. He added 83 with James Franklin to rebuild the innings, and whenplayed was called off 21 overs early, the draw remained a viable option.Earlier, India had batted till drinks in an extended 150-minute morningsession, adding 85 to their overnight score of 349 for 5 before Zaheertraded bat and pads for the shiny new ball.Martin Guptill and Taylor had taken the score to 84 when a sensationalover from Harbhajan put India in command. Bowling from round the wicket,he got drift, bounce and sharp turn. Guptill, who had played some lovelydrives and a couple of punishing pulls for six, was one short of hishalf-century when Harbhajan trapped him in front with one that turnedsharply. Two balls later, Jesse Ryder completed a poor Test by nicking onelow to Dravid at slip.It was the third wicket that India took in the session, and as has sooften been the case in recent times it was Zaheer who did all the earlydamage. He bowled 15 overs unchanged either side of lunch, and troubledevery batsmen with his pace and angle. Tim McIntosh struggled again,before an edge to third slip shortly before lunch sparked off loudcelebrations. It was Dravid’s 182nd catch, one better than Mark Waugh, and the ball received a grateful kiss once it had settled into the hands.Daniel Flynn also didn’t last long, with a bit of inward movement fromZaheer inducing an inside-edge on to the stumps. It would have been evenworse if not for a TV referral that reprieved Taylor when he had made just9. In real time, Taylor walked after turning a Harbhajan delivery into thehands of Gautam Gambhir at short leg. But as he walked off, he stopped toobserve the replay on the giant screen. The umpires then decided for asecond opinion and after multiple replays, the third umpire ruled thatGambhir had taken it on the bounce.Taylor abandoned circumspection after that, taking Ishant Sharma for threefours in an over when he came on to replace Zaheer, and repeating the dosewith a pull and cut for four just before the kettle was put on. The NewZealand camp though wasn’t in very bubbly mood, with Taylor and theprospect of fifth-day rain representing their best chance of escape.An unbeaten 56 from MS Dhoni had provided the impetus as India started theday in a tearing hurry. Dhoni crashed Chris Martin through the coverstwice and worked another delivery behind point. And after taking a fewdeliveries to get his eye in, Yuvraj Singh joined in, taking 18 from anIain O’Brien over. A cut behind point was followed by a neat tuck behindsquare and two disdainful pulls, the second of which comfortably clearedthe rope.When Daniel Vettori brought himself on, Yuvraj swept powerfully for four,but his statuesque footwork against pace cost him what would have been arapid half-century. Taylor took a smart catch at first slip after Yuvrajflailed at a Martin delivery and three balls later, Harbhajan had joinedhis Punjab team-mate in the pavilion, checking a pull to fine leg, whereTim Southee juggled twice before holding on while lying prone.With the wind swirling around, New Zealand then strung together some tightovers as Dhoni twice went to change his bat. After thwacking Franklinthrough the covers for four more, he reached his half-century from 77balls, while showing little sign that the declaration was imminent. It wasleft to Zaheer to swing Vettori a mile over long-on for a huge six as thelead went past 600. After the batting frolic though, it was time to finishthe job with the ball and by tea, India were nearly halfway there. Butwith the light deteriorating rapidly and Taylor and Franklin defiant, thefinal session didn’t quite go according to plan.