***Official India in New Zealand***

[Nutter]

He's one guy out there at the moment who I'm genuinely excited about. Cant wait for him to be eligible (another 18 months I think)

I thought it was 3 years?

Good news if it's only 18 months, great prospect is Wagner.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

I thought it was 3 years?

Good news if it's only 18 months, great prospect is Wagner.

Bugger your correct, its 3 seasons, so ..... Sometime around October 2011.

Sh*t

 

[profernity]

From nzherld.co.nz:

Cricket: Missing link damages Tendulkar's bid for record

8:42AM Monday Mar 09, 2009
Chris Barclay


The New Zealand pace bowler fortunate to avoid India's latest batting onslaught was unwittingly responsible for Sachin Tendulkar abandoning the pursuit of a unique cricketing milestone yesterday.


Tendulkar, whose sublime 163 set the scene for India's 58-run victory in game three of the five-match one-day series, was visualising becoming the first batsman to reach the 200-run barrier until a lingering body blow forced him to retire hurt after 45 overs of the tourists' impregnable of 392 for four.


Already the holder of the most ODI runs and centuries by a batsman, Tendulkar's first hundred on New Zealand soil - 19 years after he first toured here - threatened to blossom into something more even special at AMI Stadium.


He reached his 43rd ODI century in 101 balls and after motoring past 150 he seriously contemplated surpassing the biggest individual ODI innings on record - the 194 Pakistani opener Saeed Anwar amassed against a team including Tendulkar at Chennai in May 1997.


Instead the 35-year-old had to settle for the second highest knock of his 425-match ODI career when it became apparent a delivery by Iain O'Brien during the Wellington washout on Friday would thwart his ambitions.

"Towards the end I was hopeful I would be able to get it (200) if I stayed there to the 50th over, it was in the vicinity," Tendulkar said after India secured an unbeatable 2-0 lead.

But O'Brien, an observer after he was replaced by Tim Southee, spared his teammates further ignominy as India exceeded the 376 for two made at Hyderabad a decade ago - the previous best ODI innings made against New Zealand.

"I got hit in my abs (abdominals) off O'Brien and the muscle was quite sore," said Tendulkar, explaining the discomfort intensified when he entered the 60s.

"I knew with every big hit I was damaging it - there came a stage where I just knew I couldn't go on."


Tendulkar retreated after creaming 16 boundaries and five sixes.


His unscripted departure was a belated boost for stand-in captain Brendon McCullum who despaired of dismissing the diminutive strokemaker after asking India to bat first.


"It wasn't until he started walking off that it was out of reach, the ease at which he was playing ... a double hundred was certainly a possibility.


"I can hardly remember a shot that he didn't hit out of the middle. There were times he was playing with half a blade and still hitting in any area he wanted."


Tendulkar shared in century stands with Yuvraj Singh (87) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (68).


Yuvraj and Tendulkar added 138 for the third wicket and notably 69 came in a five over burst when India astutely took their batting power play in the 23rd over - a strategy that knocked McCullum and his bowlers out of kilter.


Southee eventually made his own unfortunate mark in the record books - his 0-105 was the most expensive 10-over spell by a New Zealand ODI bowler.


Grant Elliott's seven overs cost 60 and Ryder went for 56 off five - though he later avenged his treatment.


New Zealand was undoubtedly weakened by Daniel Vettori's absence - he was excused to remain in Auckland and await the birth of his first child.


McCullum's bowling permutations were also complicated when Ian Butler reported a thigh strain halfway through his allocation and Jacob Oram is rationed to an eight-over maximum as he returns from an Achilles strain.


Oram was easily New Zealand's most economical bowler taking none for 34, including a maiden, while Kyle Mills took a respectable two for 58 in his 100th match.


Challenged to maintain a scoring rate of 7.86 an over from ball one, New Zealand required a flawless chase.


McCullum (71) and Ryder (105) started pugnaciously with their own boundary barrage worth 166 from 132 balls, but when they were separated by a run out five wickets toppled for 37.


They were eventually dismissed for 334 with 29 balls remaining.


Ryder, who struck a dozen boundaries and five sixes, deservedly registered his breakthrough ton from 72 balls in what could amount to a watershed innings for the talented though occasionally distracted dasher.


The teams head to Hamilton tomorrow, where game four is scheduled for Wednesday.
Both medical staffs will be busy as Butler's quadriceps and Tendulkar's upset tummy are monitored.


New Zealand also anxiously await news on Vettori's availability.

Iain O'Brien - still taking wickets even when he's not playing.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Just caught the scorecard for the last ODI.

lol.

 

[MoxPearl]

another fantastic win by the Indians .... good to see Tendulkar get his first 100 in NZ. Who knows that if he hadn't retired, he could have got the first double

i haven't seen the game live but it appear as if Ind had the game in control for most parts, especially considering that it won by 50+ runs margin. there will usually be periods in a game where the opposition appears to be gaining ground but most often than not, we will find that such fight/recovery is not sustainable

read that Munaf dished out crap but in the end we won by 50 runs, which is what matters in the end. you never know that in the next game, he could pick up 3 crucial wkts .... agree with the statement that he has the talent but needs to put more effort

 

[MoxPearl]

Yeap sure, that team would help our poor bowling. We need something different.

There is no magic bullet for our ****ty bowling. with bond gone we have no bowling *stars* besides veto.

There may be some up and coming bowlers.. and the nz-a vs eng-a will be a good time to blood them.

Imho bring in Styris... i dont know how it can hurt in any way shape or form.

This team is playing like complete arse compared to the last few months.. they are giving india FARRRRRRRRRRRR to much respect.. so is the media.. i hear the radio coms crap on the other night for how the players and everyone should be in awe of them... complete bs.. we just beat australia in australia.. and we were playing as a great unit.

This india team is good.. maybe even great.. but they are not "The greatest team ever to land on our shores" as i heard the other night.. when it comes to ODI's i still think we are a better team.. our team is just playing ****e..fielding and bowling has been WELLLL below our par...

 

[Bahnz]

Bugger your correct, its 3 seasons, so ..... Sometime around October 2011.

Sh*t

He'll still only be 24/25. The thing I'm worried about is that if he does really well in the Champion's Trophy this year, what if SA decide they want him in their 20/20 side? Can/would he go back to playing for them straight away?

 

[Cricket_God]

Two games doesn't make the bowling poor.

Mills: world class

O'Brien: Very promising

Butler: Very promising

Vettori: world class

Oram: solid, economical

Boult or McClennaghan will only increase the issues.

Mills May be good on helpful tracks but on these types of tracks he will get hammered.
The rest of the bowling except vettori is ordinary,as i was saying before the tour but some
people here were in their dreams.India has not played their best game yet and they are winning easily and if ishant comes back in 3rd odi india will get stronger.Good to see
dhoni speaking the truth even if we won,former indian captains would never have said a thing if we won bad about the team.

 

[_Ed_]

Mills May be good on helpful tracks but on these types of tracks he will get hammered.

I strongly disagree with that.

 

[Cricket_God]

I strongly disagree with that.

he will get hammered on flat tracks as he lacks pace .

 

[Nutter]

Pace or not, if you bowl half trackers or full tosses, you are going to get hammered by anyone.

 

[Jono]

Good to see
dhoni speaking the truth even if we won,former indian captains would never have said a thing if we won bad about the team.

If you didn't see the match, and only tuned in for Dhoni's after-match interview, you would definitely think India lost.

I love Dhoni so much. Not afraid to say the truth. Great leader.

 

[Jono]

There is no magic bullet for our ****ty bowling. with bond gone we have no bowling *stars* besides veto.

There may be some up and coming bowlers.. and the nz-a vs eng-a will be a good time to blood them.

Imho bring in Styris... i dont know how it can hurt in any way shape or form.

This team is playing like complete arse compared to the last few months.. they are giving india FARRRRRRRRRRRR to much respect.. so is the media.. i hear the radio coms crap on the other night for how the players and everyone should be in awe of them... complete bs.. we just beat australia in australia.. and we were playing as a great unit.

This india team is good.. maybe even great.. but they are not "The greatest team ever to land on our shores" as i heard the other night.. when it comes to ODI's i still think we are a better team.. our team is just playing ****e..fielding and bowling has been WELLLL below our par...

Better team based on what?

And NZ beat Aust in Aust twice? India did it three times, including a 2-0 sweep in the finals.

Hard to argue NZ is the better team. Its pretty even, but I think India hold the edge, and they're showing it. And showing it on NZ's shores as well.

 

[Nutter]

And NZ beat Aust in Aust twice? India did it three times, including a 2-0 sweep in the finals.

On track to win the series TBH till the rain came with just 30 runs to get.

However, India are definitely a better ODI side than NZ. We're a bit off the pace at the moment.

 

[Jono]

On track to win the series TBH till the rain came with just 30 runs to get.

True. Wouldn't call that 5th match a ODI strictly speaking, but yes, NZ were very very good in that series.

However those wins don't make NZ better than India, considering India did it as well. I'd argue they did it against a far better Australian ODI line-up too.

Its neither here nor there though, because this series will really do the talking.

 

[Nishan]

Hard to agree NZ is better than India when they have been pounded into submission by the indian batsmen twice in 3 games. But i do think NZ showed a lot last night that suggests they deserve a hig ranking in the one day game.

Also I wonder what would have happened if India had been chasing 334 would have been facinating to see how indians would have fared, i suggest they wouldnt get that far. No stats to back it up though

 

[NZ4life!]

True. Wouldn't call that 5th match a ODI strictly speaking, but yes, NZ were very very good in that series.

However those wins don't make NZ better than India, considering India did it as well. I'd argue they did it against a far better Australian ODI line-up too.

Its neither here nor there though, because this series will really do the talking.

Yeah, i believe india is probably the better side, but not in NZ. Gutted that we cant win the series, but things look good with Oram bowling near his best again, and Jesse/McCullum opening well. If mills can improve on that bit of form he started to get in ChCh, plus Dan the man back, I know its a big call but we should have a solid chance of winning the last two.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Hard to agree NZ is better than India when they have been pounded into submission by the indian batsmen twice in 3 games. But i do think NZ showed a lot last night that suggests they deserve a hig ranking in the one day game.

Also I wonder what would have happened if India had been chasing 334 would have been facinating to see how indians would have fared, i suggest they wouldnt get that far. No stats to back it up though

They would either have made it comfortably or collapsed spectacularly. Which of the two is more probable is anyone's guess.

 

[99*]

Just heard on Radio Sport that Thompson is in for Southee and will Vettori replace Butler.

 

[_Ed_]

O'Brien has a right to feel a bit miffed.