Brett Lee and Ben Hilfenhaus splintered India’s top order, leaving MS Dhoni to attempt a salvage operation, as the visitors reached 5 for 89 in pursuit of a distant 289 to win after 25 overs

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey and Peter Forrest were involved in a century stand•AFP

Ben Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee splintered India to return Australia to the top of the table with a 110-run victory that reaped a bonus point at the Gabba. On a day when Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar both glimpsed their mortality in the limited-overs game, Australia’s 5 for 288 proved far too tall a target for India’s batsmen, who looked as uncomfortable as ever when faced by Brisbane’s bounce and a home side recovering from two straight losses.Making use of a hard, fast pitch and the early swing offered by the new ball, Lee and Hilfenhaus nipped out four wickets between them to slide India to 4 for 36, and had snared eight by the end of the night. Hilfenhaus was playing his first ODI since November 2009, in place of the ill Clint McKay, and made a strong case for his retention by moving the ball at good pace on a disciplined line to take five wickets for the first time. He had an ideal counterpoint in Lee, who offered slippery pace and plenty of aggression.Tendulkar played a particularly fretful innings, struck on the helmet by Lee, caught at third man off Hilfenhaus. Soon after, Kohli lingered unhappily at the crease after video evidence was used to confirm he had been caught at slip by David Hussey. MS Dhoni’s innings proved merely a parting shot as the match faded out.Ponting won the toss in what is expected to be his last match in charge before Michael Clarke returns. David Warner made a wasteful exit for a swift 43, Ponting struggled badly for placement and occupied 26 balls for 7, and Matthew Wade fought his way to 45 only to give it up with a tame return catch.Peter Forrest and Michael Hussey righted the ship with a century partnership, but Christian and David Hussey made equally vital contributions with a stand of 65 in the final six overs. Michael Hussey’s innings might have been over on 1, when MS Dhoni appealed for a stumping. Replays showed Hussey may have had some of his back foot safely behind the line, and there was some surprise when the red “out” signal flashed on the big screen. However Hussey’s trudge off the field was swiftly aborted by the umpires, as it emerged that the wrong verdict from the third umpire Bruce Oxenford had somehow been relayed.Needing close to six runs per over, India needed a strong start, but were unlikely to get one from the moment Lee found a way past Gautam Gambhir. In the Tests Gambhir had often been out fencing at deliveries going across him, but Lee’s delivery gave him little choice, starting to bend in before seaming the other way off the track to clip the outside edge.

Smart stats

• Australia’s victory margin of 110 runs makes it the seventh time that they have managed a 100-run-plus win over India. Four of those wins have come in ODIs in Australia.

• Australia’s total of 288 is the joint fifth-highest for them in ODIs against India at home. Their highest total overall against India is 359 in Johannesburg and Sydney.

• Ben Hilfenhaus followed up his excellent Test series by picking up his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. His 5 for 33 is seventh on the list of best bowling performances for Australia against India.

• Matthew Wade held five catches in the Indian innings making it the 13th instance of an Australian wicketkeeper taking five or more catches in an ODI. Adam Gilchrist has achieved the feat on nine occasions.

• Michael Hussey became the 13th Australian batsman to reach the 5000-run mark. His average of 50.52 is the second-highest after Michael Bevan among Australian batsmen with 5000-plus runs.

• The partnership run-rate of 10.83 between Daniel Christian and David Hussey for the sixth wicket is the fifth-highest for Australia for fifty-plus stands.

Tendulkar’s unhappy tour gained another chapter of discontent against the new ball. Struck a hefty blow on the head by a Lee bouncer, he struggled to lay a bat on Hilfenhaus’ away swing, and when he did connect, the ball floated down to Xavier Doherty, who had dropped Kohli the ball before. Tendulkar seems even further away from the barrier of 100 international centuries than he had been at the start of the summer.Not for the first time, Kohli had looked distracted by crowd chants in the field, and he carried that anger with him to the crease. He watched Rohit Sharma’s undoing, waving his bat at Lee’s bounce and away movement, then took his dismissal for 12, via Hussey’s low catch, as something approaching a personal slight. He waited for some time after the verdict to leave the field.Suresh Raina sallied forth to deposit Mitchell Starc into the stands. However Christian was delivering a neat spell, and he gained the break with a delivery running across Raina that caught a nick.Dhoni went on to 56 as the required rate climbed, but his dismissal, pulling Hilfenhaus to midwicket, signalled the end of formal resistance.During the Australian innings, Wade and Warner found the early going slow against tight bowling from Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan. Wade enjoyed an escape off the second ball of the match, edging Zaheer towards Tendulkar at first slip, only for Rohit to dive across from second and knock the ball away from the man best placed to catch it. Warner began to look fluent, but he was to curse himself with some venom when he chipped the last ball of the 13th over to a waiting midwicket.The ensuing passage was dominated by Ponting’s struggles. He made a deliberate start, defending staunchly against Raina’s modest offerings, then found himself struggling to find the boundaries to counterbalance this early conservatism. One charge down the wicket resulted in an edge to third man, and Ponting was still searching for momentum when he picked up a Zaheer delivery and sent it looping into deep midwicket’s hands. His scores for the series now read 2, 1, 6, 2 and 7.Hussey and Forrest fought with determination and intelligence, finding the odd boundary but mainly keeping the innings going with their running between the wickets. Apart from his stumping reprieve, Hussey was also dropped twice, while Forrest endured numerous periods without free-scoring but lifted his rate as he went.Their stand was worth 100 when Hussey fell to combination of urgency and fatigue, swinging Irfan into the deep, and in the same over Forrest did likewise, ending another innings of promise by the prospective Test batsman. David Hussey and Christian added some clean blows to swell the total in the final overs, distorting Vinay’s figures by taking his last over for 18 runs. Another 15 were spirited away from the last, leaving India with a chase that proved well beyond their means.

A round-up of matches from the One-Day National Cup 2012, Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2012Khurram Manzoor’s hundred went in vain as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) beat National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) by three wickets and three balls to spare at Gaddafi Stadium. PIA’s Najaf Shah and Anwar Ali picked up two and three wickets each to rip through NBP’s batting order, though Manzoor (121 off 142 balls) and Fawad Alam (67 off 88 balls) resisted and led their team to 230. NBP fought hard to defend but Faraz Ali (73) and the captain Shoaib Malik (64) set up the victory and secured PIA a place in the semi-finals.The Farhat brothers, Imran and Humayun, scored centuries to help Habib Bank Limited (HBL) beat State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Imran Farhat (105 off 111) and Humayun Farhat (100 off 51 balls) boosted HBL to 310, while Mohammad Naved and Kashif Siddiq managed to take three wickets each. SBP made a decent chase but a fifty from Mohtashim Ali and century from Rameez Aziz went in vain. Aftab Alam took 2 for 27, while Danish Kaneria claimed 3 for 57 to dismiss SBP for 291.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by two wickets in a dead rubber at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Zulfiqar Babar and Imranullah Aslam took four wickets each to cut through ZTBL, dismissing them for 143 in 32.4 overs. Sharjeel Khan top scored with 53 off 50 balls. WAPDA made a poor start to the chase and were 7 for 2 after the openers fell. Rafatullah Mohamad scored 69 off 67 balls and led his side to victory in 35.1 overs. Junaid Nadir, Junaid Zia, Jawad Hameed took two wickets each for ZTBL.Half centuries by Kamran Younis and Mohammad Ayub steered Sialkot Stallions to a six-wicket win over Karachi Dolphins at Jinnah Stadium. Dolphins, with half-centuries from Shahzaib Hasan (72) and Asad Baig (80), managed to post 232 before they were dismissed in 49 overs. Atif Jabbar took 4 for 48 for Sialkot. During the chase, Sialkot lost four wickets before achieving the target in 39.3 overs to book their place in the semi-final.Zeeshan Mushtaq’s unbeaten century led Islamabad Leopards to a thrilling, one-wicket victory against Rawalpindi Rams at Diamond Club Ground. Chasing a target of 224, Islamabad were reeling at 51 for 5 but Mushtaq kept his cool with Naeem Anjum, who made 48 off 47 balls, to secure victory with four balls to spare. Earlier, Nasrullah Khan dented Rawalpindi’s innings with four wickets to restrict them to 223. Shoaib Ahmed top scored with 56 while Babar Naeem made 49.Faisalabad Wolves beat Abbottabad Falcons by two wickets at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Asked to bat first, Abbottabad rode on Mohamamd Naeem’s hundred to post 292. Ehsan Adil and Aqeel Ahmed took two wickets each, while Waqas Masood conceded 63 runs for three wickets. Murtaza Anees (51) and Hasan Mahmood (71) scored half-centuries and Faisalabad eventually secured victory in the final over.

Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer

Mohammad Isam and George Dobell21-Apr-2012Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer. This, even before the board has formally advertised the vacancy left by Stuart Law – a sea change from the past, and credited to Bangladesh’s recent successes on the field and off it.Days after Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman tweeted that he’d been contacted by the board and was considering the offer, Dermot Reeve, the former England allrounder, said he was keen to succeed Law when he steps down at the end of June. It is also understood that some of Law’s current colleagues on the coaching staff are interested in replacing him.Reeve, 49, has coached Somerset and Central Districts in New Zealand and has also been bowling coach of the New Zealand Twenty20 side and of Pune Warriors in the IPL. He is currently working as a television commentator and says there hasn’t been an offer laid on the table.”Yes, I would be very interested in the job,” Reeve told ESPNcricinfo, “but there have been no offers or formal talks or anything like that. Coaching Bangladesh would be a wonderful opportunity. I honestly believe they will win world cups one day and there is no reason it shouldn’t start with the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.”There is a huge amount of talent within the Bangladesh set-up. Shakib Al Hasan is ranked the No. 1 allrounder in the world in Tests and ODIs; others can do that if they follow his commitment and acquire his mental toughness. They just need absolute, total belief and some fine tuning to turn them into one of the world’s leading sides.”According to the BCB, the candidates will be asked to send in their applications with a forwarding letter to the acting CEO, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, by May 15.The board’s cricket operations committee chairman Enayet Hossain Siraj said that they have only just begun the process so there’s no question of a favourite, but he was happy to learn that coaches are interested in the job.”This is a positive [development] and think it has come about, firstly, through the BPL, where the foreign coaches understood that the working environment in Bangladesh is favourable,” Siraj said. “Second, of course, is the Asia Cup performance of the team where the world has learned that success is possible for Bangladesh.”We have only just started to look for a coach so by the deadline we have provided, we will draw up a shortlist and then process our requirements.”It’s a far cry from the BCB’s past struggles to find a coach. After Dav Whatmore left the job in 2007, the BCB made Shaun Williams the interim coach and only after Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the former national captain, intervened and traced Jamie Siddons did he take the job. The appointment of Law, too, had its problems as he was keen on having roles in the Twenty20 tournaments apart from holding the Bangladesh job. Other candidates sounded out at the time wanted the option of being able to have a freelance role during the off season.

Therese Walsh, who was chief operating officer for last year’s Rugby World Cup, has been appointed to lead the New Zealand operations for the 2015 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2012Therese Walsh, who was chief operating officer for last year’s Rugby World Cup, has been appointed to lead the New Zealand operations for the 2015 World Cup. Walsh, who has been a director of New Zealand Cricket since 2011, will be head of New Zealand for the tournament to be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.”Therese will play a leading role across the whole tournament but pay special attention to delivery in New Zealand,” John Harnden, the World Cup CEO, said. “Our aim is to put on a fan-friendly event which reaches as many communities as possible across both countries. Therese brings great experience in sport and major events to the role and has invaluable insights from what has been recognised as the best Rugby World Cup ever.”Walsh served as the chief financial officer and general manager corporate services for the New Zealand Rugby Union before she took on the Rugby World Cup role. Walsh said she was looking forward to working across both Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to the tournament, which will be held in February-March 2015.”This was a perfect chance to be a part of another global sporting event that is going to have a direct and positive impact not only on cricket in New Zealand but on communities, businesses and individuals,” Walsh said. “While my title is Head of New Zealand, my focus will be on creating a memorable event across both countries that will leave a legacy for years to come.”

Alex Hales has been fined a week’s wages by Nottinghamshire after reporting late for the final day of the club’s Championship match against Middlesex on Saturday, May 12

George Dobell16-May-2012Alex Hales has been fined a week’s wages by Nottinghamshire after reporting late for the final day of the club’s Championship match against Middlesex at Trent Bridge on Saturday, May 12.Hales, who has played four T20 internationals for England, had been dismissed in his second innings of the match shortly before the close on the third evening of the game. After a late night on Friday, he overslept on Saturday morning and did not wake until lunchtime. The Middlesex side included England’s Test captain, Andrew Strauss.”We can confirm that Alex was fined,” a club spokesman told ESPNcricinfo, “but it is club policy not to comment upon the reasons.”Hales was part of England’s T20 squad in the UAE over the winter but was not selected for the side.

Darren Bravo returned to form with an unbeaten hundred against Middlesex and Dwayne Smith made 96 in a crushing win

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's13-Jun-2012
ScorecardDwayne Smith made an immediate impact for West Indies in their warm-up match against Middlesex at Lord’s ahead of the ODI series•Getty Images

With an influx of new personnel to their squad, West Indies can consider themselves far more England’s equals in the forthcoming one-day series, if not even slight favourites given the power in the top order. That strength was on show during their one warm-up match ahead of the opening ODI, as they piled up 335 for 4 against Middlesex. Their performance included a welcome hundred from Darren Bravo and Dwayne Smith’s 96 which showed they should not have to rest purely on Chris Gayle.Gayle’s return to the maroon strip was the initial focus at Lord’s. In the second over he took consecutive boundaries off Robbie Williams and then launched Tim Murtagh for two sixes. With the Middlesex attack lacking Corey Collymore – a former West Indies team-mate of Gayle – and Toby Roland-Jones it was lightweight and Gayle looked set to take advantage. However, he did not quite middle his attempted flick over the leg side off Anthony Ireland and found deep midwicket on the shorter of the boundaries.The backbone of West Indies’ imposing total was a 156-run stand for the third wicket between Darren Bravo and Smith, while the end of the innings was given a kick by Dwayne Bravo – another player back in the squad after IPL duty – who sped to 40 off 21 balls in a fifth-wicket partnership of 73 in six overs. There is certainly no lack of boundary-clearing ability in the visitors’ line-up which extends down to Andre Russell and Darren Sammy in the lower order.Darren Bravo’s innings was timely after a Test series in which he disappointed with 81 runs in five innings. He was not challenged by a weakened Middlesex attack – further depleted by the loss of Williams who suffered a suspected fractured collarbone while fielding – but neither did he let the opportunity to revive his confidence go to waste. The hundred – just his third in List A cricket – came from 110 deliveries in the final over of the innings and he closed out the 50 overs by striking the final two balls for sixes against Josh Davey. He provides an important foil to the more dashing blades elsewhere.Smith – well known to English audiences after his spells in county cricket for Sussex – came within one blow of three-figures after an innings that hinted at a greater maturity in his batting than had previously been evident. Given the chance to bat at No. 4 with Marlon Samuels resting, he played himself in but still did not struggle to score at a run-a-ball, a rate he later increased before driving to mid-on searching for the boundary to reach a hundred. One of his two sixes went into the top tier of the pavilion; Gayle is not the only one who can comfortably clear boundaries.There is suddenly competition for batting places. Samuels, West Indies’ Man of the Series in the Tests, will return to the middle order so one from this side will need to make way. Another advantage for them is many of their batsmen are more than capable with the ball; Gayle, Samuels, Smith and Kieron Pollard all provide useful varieties of spin or medium-pace, one of the reasons the 50-over (and 20-over) format suits West Indies. In this match, though, their bowling was barely needed.Middlesex’s reply was all rather embarrassing. Three of the middle order – Paul Stirling, Neil Dexter and Adam London – fell to a variety of miscued pulls as Ravi Rampaul continued his nagging form from the Test series and Russell produced a lively opening spell. There was just time for Gayle to finish the game with two in three balls, both wickets met with his unique celebrations.Eoin Morgan was not in the side despite his limited cricket so far this season and recent return to form with a 49-ball hundred in the CB40. Instead, he had a net on the Nursery Ground ahead of linking up with the England squad in Southampton on Thursday.

Leicestershire’s veteran pace bowler Matthew Hoggard marked his relinquishing of the county’s one-day captaincy to Josh Cobb with three wickets against Netherlands in Amstelveen.

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2012
ScorecardMatthew Hoggard, seen here against Derbyshire, enjoyed his first day back in the ranks with three wickets for Leicestershire in Amstelveen•PA Photos

Leicestershire’s veteran pace bowler Matthew Hoggard marked his relinquishing of the county’s one-day captaincy to Josh Cobb with three wickets in the county’s first CB40 win of the season against Netherlands in Amstelveen.Michael Thornely made a boundary-laden 86 as Leicestershire posted 208 for 7 in an innings reduced to 36 overs by the weather.Hoggard and Jamie Sykes then took three wickets apiece as Netherlands, the Group A leaders, were bowled out for 175, leaving Leicestershire as 33-run winners.Timm van der Gugten removed Josh Cobb in the first over and added the notable scalp of his opening partner Ramnaresh Sarwan to leave Leicestershire 51 for 3 from 13 overs.Thornely and Wayne White put on 69 for the fifth wicket before White (38) became Mudassar Bukhari’s first victim, leaving Leicestershire 143 for 5 with only 26 balls remaining only for a further 65 runs to be crashed in a climax that transformed the game.Thornely was caught by Tom Heggelman off Shahbaz Bashir to end a 77-ball knock containing six fours and five sixes.Hoggard removed Michael Swart and Wesley Barresi either side of Stephan Myburgh’s promising innings of 21 from 12 balls being ended when the opener retired hurt.Bashir followed to leave the hosts 35 for 3 – effectively four – and they never really recovered, though Cameron Borgas attempted to give the innings some momentum with an innings of 40 from 48 balls.

Australia’s batsmen did enough to secure victory in the first ODI in Sharjah on Tuesday, but they know they will need to find a more convincing way to handle Saeed Ajmal throughout the rest of the tour

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2012Australia’s batsmen did enough to secure victory in the first ODI in Sharjah on Tuesday, but they know they will need to find a more convincing way to handle Saeed Ajmal throughout the rest of the tour. Ajmal struck with his first ball of the match and again in his second over, which left Australia in trouble at 67 for 4 chasing 199, and he finished with 3 for 30 from his ten overs.George Bailey came to the crease after Ajmal’s first two wickets and helped put Australia back on target with steady half-century, but at no point did any of the batsmen really get on top of Ajmal. He conceded only one boundary and Bailey said Australia would need to find a way to score more freely off Ajmal in the remaining matches to avoid getting bogged down.”We could probably see him off a little better,” Bailey told reporters after the match. “We knew he was going to be a key bowler and I think that’s one of the real focuses we’ll have going in to Abu Dhabi is how we play him, and try to milk him a little bit better and try not to give him his wickets.”His control is good and we know he’s a key bowler. Certainly towards the back end, after he’d taken his wickets, the key was just to see him out. If we scored runs off him that was great, if we didn’t, that’s okay, we’ll just try to target the other bowlers. It’s nice to have faced Ajmal a little more, get a better feel of how to play him. And it was nice to face all the bowlers who we haven’t faced.”Mohammad Hafeez also proved a difficult customer for the Australian batsmen and having taken the new ball, it took him less than two overs to get rid of David Warner, who was bowled trying to slog across the line. Neither Warner nor his opening partner Matthew Wade had any real impact with the bat and Bailey said top-order partnerships would be important for Australia to win the series.”With opening the batting there’s responsibility,” Bailey said. “We want Matty Wade and Davey Warner to be scoring hundreds for us. But we also know that their ball-striking can get us off to a flyer too. So there’s a balance to be found there.”The big thing that we’ll take as a team is partnerships, particularly in the top order. If you look at teams that have had success over here the big partnerships and big scores come from the top order. That’s a real focus for us.”The Australians were helped by the fact that their bowlers put in such a strong performance after Pakistan chose to bat, dismissing them for 198. Bailey said James Pattinson was almost the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 19, although it was Mitchell Starc who ended up with the best figures of 5 for 42. Starc said he was pleased with the results given that the conditions didn’t offer much for the fast men.”It’s not helpful. There’s not much seam movement out there,” Starc said. “We’re sticking to our plans. We’re talking about it as a bowling group. I think we’re all bowling really well as a group. I was lucky to get the wickets today but James Pattinson got 3 for 19 and bowled magnificently well as well. As a group I think we’re doing well and then tonight with the bat we backed it up and got the job done in the end.”The three-match ODI series moves on to Abu Dhabi for the remaining two matches on Friday and Monday, before the three-match T20 series begins.

The Pakistan Cricket Board have lodged a protest with the ICC after Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, was left off the shortlist for the ICC Test player of the year.

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2012The Pakistan Cricket Board has lodged a protest with the ICC after Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, was left off the shortlist for the ICC Test player of the year. He was included on the longlist for the award, and the PCB has requested a review, hoping Ajmal will be added to the shortlist.Ajmal, 34, took 72 Test wickets between August 4, 2011 and August 6, 2012 – the qualifying period for the award – including 24 at 14.70 as Pakistan swept aside England, the then No. 1 side in the world, 3-0 in January. He has climbed to No. 3 in the ICC Test bowling rankings and is the highest ranked spinner. He was also selected in the ICC Test team of the year.But despite his success, Ajmal was omitted from the four-man shortlist that features South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara and Australia captain Michael Clarke. The list is voted for by a 30-member panel of former players, officials and journalists and the award will be presented at a ceremony in Colombo on September 15.”During the voting period Ajmal produced some significant performances including the series against England,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s fair to show a concern on Ajmal’s omission from the top performers and hence the PCB has written to the ICC and expect them to reconsider.”There is precedent for the ICC to add names to the list of candidates for their awards. In 2010, Graeme Swann was omitted from the longlist for the Cricketer of the Year award but after the ECB put up his case, the ICC included his name after admitting an “oversight.” Swann was then shortlisted before missing out to Sachin Tendulkar. South Africa have also taken umbrage to the list of candidates in the past, boycotting the 2009 ceremony in Johannesburg after their cricketers were overlooked for awards.

Led by a Virat Kohli classic, India are now within 82 runs of the New Zealand first innings total

The Report by Sharda Ugra01-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSuresh Raina’s fifty had aggression mixed in with an urgency to find security around his No. 6 spot•Associated Press

Led by a Virat Kohli classic, after staggering somewhat at two points of their innings, India find themselves within 82 runs of the New Zealand first innings total of 365. Plus a healthy chance in this Test match. At stumps on day two, India were 283 for 5 with Kohli seven short of his century and MS Dhoni four short of his fifty.Kohli formed the core of two middle-order partnerships that ensured that the Indians kept moving ahead. Just after lunch, India had wobbled at 80 for 4, before Kohli became the fulcrum of the Indian resistance even as New Zealand’s impressive seam bowlers threatened to get their teeth into the Indian lower order.A fifth wicket stand of 99 with Suresh Raina took control of the Indian innings after the loss of the top four. A sixth-wicket unbeaten 104-run partnership with Dhoni had made the most of the softer old ball. New Zealand’s triumvirate of leading quick bowlers, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult had an outstanding day of purpose, energy, swing bowling and wickets, more than ably aided by their fielders. In the final count, though, New Zealand were held off by these two partnerships.At stumps, the Indian response was centered around Kohli’s most intelligently compilied knock. He came in at 67 for 3, at the fall of Virender Sehwag’s wicket. In the early part of innings, he gave the bowling due respect and with two aggressive partners at the other end, Kohli played at his own pace. He was neither over-defensive or overdosing on the aggro. His strokemaking was of the highest calibre, his first boundary only off the 21st ball. He stepped out confidently to hoist Jeetan Patel over midwicket for six and hitting Boult, Bracewell and James Franklin down the ground for straight boundaries. A controlled pull off his face to Bracewell was sufficient proof of his calibre.Raina’s 55 was a different kind of fifty. It had aggression mixed in with an urgency to find security around his No. 6 spot. He was the prime mover in the partnership with Kohli, given enough opportunity to go onto his front foot. His three boundaries in the second over he faced from Bracewell, however, included a cracking pull shot. When Patel tossed one up, Raina struck a sweet six over extra cover. He was given a reprieve on 48, stumped off a no ball off Patel. His innings came to an end quickly after tea. Like Hyderabad, he was caught trying to tickle one down the leg side, this time to Southee.Much like Raina had done on his arrival during a crisis, Dhoni led his innings with big-hitting strokeplay. He took maximum benefit of the fact that his counterpart had offered him Patel’s off spin at one end for as many as eight overs. Dhoni charged down the wicket against Patel, taking on the fielder at long-on and belted two sixes over his head. That kicked off his innings and got the partnership with Kohli going at a good clip.

Smart stats

• Pragyan Ojha’s five-for is the third of his career and his first against New Zealand. The previous two came against West Indies.

• With Ojha’s five-wicket haul, the number of five-fors for India in the series went up to three. It is only the fourth time that India have had three five-fors in a series of two Tests.

• The opening stand between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir yielded just five runs. In the last ten innings, the pair has not been involved in a single fifty-plus stand.

• The 104-run stand between MS Dhoni and Kohli is the sixth century stand for the sixth wicket for India against New Zealand. Dhoni has been involved in four of them.

• The fifth-wicket stand between Suresh Raina and Kohli is only the fifth 99-run partnership for India (broken stands only). The last such stand was between Syed Kirmani and Sunil Gavaskar in Chennai in 1979.

• Sachin Tendulkar was bowled for the second consecutive innings in this series. He became the third batsman after Rahul Dravid and Allan Border to be bowled on fifty or more occasions.

Regardless of what was happening to Patel, Boult, Bracewell and Southee got the ball to move at good pace, even if they were a bit lenient by not putting enough short ball queries to Raina. Like he had done in Hyderabad, Ross Taylor overbowled Patel at a time when his three seamers were – between them – asking constant questions of the batsmen. Rather than use Franklin’s very medium pace to wobble the ball around, Taylor chose to fall back on Patel.Until then, New Zealand had given themselves the best chance in this Test, Southee instantly justifying his selection over Chris Martin, not only because he’d hit a six during his brief time at the crease. Within ten overs of the Indian innings, Southee had the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, shouldering arms and having his bail disturbed, and Cheteshwara Pujara, mistiming a hook leaving the hosts at 2 for 27.At the other end, after a watchful start, Sehwag lashed at the bowling. At the lunch break he was on 39, with seven boundaries, an surviving an appeal for leg before and two nicks through the slips. His partner Sachin Tendulkar played at a subdued pace, searching for touch and timing.In his first over after lunch, Bracewell’s leg stump line to Sehwag was meant to eliminate the width and room he gobbled up on his way to 43. The third ball was whipped to the square leg boundary. The fourth ball, slightly straighter, was hit uppishly and ended up in the hands of the flying Flynn at short midwicket.When Tendulkar hit a classic straight drive off Bracewell, it offered the clue that he may finally have settled in. One ball later, came the bowler’s denouement: Tendulkar played all over a straight one and was bowled through his defence. It is the second time that Tendulkar was bowled through the gate in this series. Within eleven balls after lunch, India were tottering at 80 for 4 before Raina and Kohli got together.Play had started half an hour early and New Zealand lost their last four wickets for 20 runs, within 45 minutes. The two overnight batsmen, Kruger van Wyk and Bracewell who added 99 for the seventh wicket, met with contrasting ends. van Wyk fell to a sustained spell of inquiry from Zaheer Khan, trying to guide one through to third man, Gambhir-style, but instead edged it to a diving Raina at second slip. Bracewell was unlucky to be the non-striker who ended up backing Southee too far. Ojha finished with 5 for 99, when he had Southee leg before for a lusty 14.Overall, it was a tight day’s Test cricket; New Zealand have kept throwing the challenges, Southee finishing with 3 for 35 and Bracewell 2 for 66; the control of the game will, however, depend on what India’s last batting pair do on Sunday morning.