***Official India in New Zealand***

[Athlai]

Jeets!

Woohoo! WAG

One more wicket than Mills would've got.

 

[Zinzan]

The way Sehwag bats, you don't tell him what to do- best results come when you let him do his own thing. On another day, that may have gone for a second six. He looked like running away with a massive partnership, and it would take a good ball or just good luck to get him out.

Wasn't suggesting how he should bat, merely making the point that when someone plays a rank shot that was totally wrong for the delivery he received, then it ain't unlucky. Are you still maintaining it was unlucky?

 

[Xuhaib]

Note to Xuhaib: This is cricket, when there's no batsman at the other end, this means your team is "All Out".

Thanks for explaining the rules.

 

[JBH001]

Yep, in fact I wont be spending most of it at uni as normal. Heading home in half an hour to get prepped for a day (or most of it) on the couch. Am hoping for a good 200+ by BFJ and about 250 runs scored in the next two sessions. Hoping to see India sent out to bat just before tea, and maybe some quick wickets with India 3 down at close of play (I dont want Sachin to get out though - want him to make another 100). Have mixed feelings about Franklin, want him to score some runs, but I am afraid that doing so might see the continuation of this nonsensical experiment of Franklin at 6 in tests, when he is more suited for number 8 at this stage, and taking the new ball.

Reasonably happy with that! Been a good day on the couch.

 

[biased indian]

i will not wake up tomorrow before 9AM IST match will be well into the last session ..hope one of the guys at the crease now is on 100+ by then.... and we will be able to save this test .......

 

[Athlai]

i will not wake up tomorrow before 9AM IST match will be well into the last session ..hope one of the guys at the crease now is on 100+ by then.... and we will be able to save this test .......

Na give us the Test IMO. Makes the 3rd Test all the better for you guys to win.

 

[adharcric]

I thought they were both very good balls. Well, clever in Vettori's case and excellent flight from Patel.

Guess you can call it clever given Sehwag's natural aggression, but for me it was just a standard delivery from Vettori. Similarly, Patel flighted it well today but it was still Gambhir throwing away his wicket more than anything special from Jeets IMO. Anyways, my point was more that it doesn't seem too hard for the batsmen out there so I'd still say a draw is more likely than a NZ win at the moment.

 

[Sanz]

Guess you can call it clever given Sehwag's natural aggression, but for me it was just a standard delivery from Vettori. Similarly, Patel flighted it well today but it was still Gambhir throwing away his wicket more than anything special from Jeets IMO. Anyways, my point was more that it doesn't seem too hard for the batsmen out there so I'd still say a draw is more likely than a NZ win at the moment.

But that's also one of the point of Lighting the ball, lure the batsman to take chance. IMO clever bowling, I give credit to the bowler, had confidence in him to try that and was not afraid of being hit.

 

[adharcric]

But that's also one of the point of Lighting the ball, lure the batsman to take chance. IMO clever bowling, I give credit to the bowler, had confidence in him to try that and was not afraid of being hit.

Sure, but this is not a ODI or T20 - simply bowling it wide (Vettori to Sehwag) or flighting it up (Patel to Gambhir) isn't anything special on its own, unless you expect opposition opening batsmen facing a huge deficit to try to take you to the cleaners. Even if it was clever bowling, it was only clever because India's openers were batting too aggressively. See my point?

 

[Evermind]

Hahaha India are crap.

Good chance for NZ to shut all the Indian fans and the one-eyed Monga up. I don't think there's been a more hyped-up lineup in the history of cricket that has failed to deliver these many times.

 

[SJS]

I thought they were both very good balls. Well, clever in Vettori's case and excellent flight from Patel.

There was no need for Sehwag to go after the ball. After reaching at full stretch with the bat at almost 45 degrees to the perpendicular he could still manage just the absolute bottom of the bat on the ball, thats how far it was from him.

Gambhir has a problem. This is not the first time he has lost his head when a bowler has kept him quite. Facing such a massive total and three days to go, and having lost the skipper, where was the need for him to show the bowler what he can do stepping out and hitting over the top.

Clever bowling or not, the shots were not very clever I am afraid.

 

[Uppercut]

There was no need for Sehwag to go after the ball. After reaching at full stretch with the bat at almost 45 degrees to the perpendicular he could still manage just the absolute bottom of the bat on the ball, thats how far it was from him.

Good bowling to Sehwag pretty much assumes he'll play a shot almost at every ball, so "there was no need for him to go after it" doesn't really detract from its quality. Frustrating in these situations, but that's Sehwag.

India, as has been the case for over a year now, aren't half the team they could be without Dhoni's leadership.

 

[NZTailender]

Hahaha India are crap.

Good chance for NZ to shut all the Indian fans and the one-eyed Monga up. I don't think there's been a more hyped-up lineup in the history of cricket that has failed to deliver these many times.

Yeah, it's not like they just beat us by an innings or belted the number 1 team in recentish times, or anything.

 

[TT Boy]

Good chance for NZ to shut all the Indian fans and the one-eyed Monga up. I don't think there's been a more hyped-up lineup in the history of cricket that has failed to deliver these many times.

Or the New Zealanders who said they can only compete against the Indians on a greentop...

 

[OnDrive]

Great stuff from New Zealand, poor application from the Indians.

And I don't get it, why do teams persist with the 'nightwatchman' concept? Do batsmen of such high calibre not trust themselves to see off a few overs?

 

[Uppercut]

It's a solid enough idea when your night watchman isn't such a bunny. Dhoni gave up on using him after he got bounced out by Stuart Clark not long ago.

 

[Xuhaib]

Great stuff from New Zealand, poor application from the Indians.

And I don't get it, why do teams persist with the 'nightwatchman' concept? Do batsmen of such high calibre not trust themselves to see off a few overs?

All batsman are vulnerable early on, so when a wicket falls late it means they have to get themselves in twice before reaching a decent score.

I believe a sticker (Gillispie, Saqlain) as a night watchman is good value as not he negotiates late overs but also can see of the early morning conditions.

 

[Craig]

As for Sehwag's dismissal, I thought it was stupid batting more then anything. It was a rubbish shot that was clearly in the low percentage range.

 

[biased indian]

Na give us the Test IMO. Makes the 3rd Test all the better for you guys to win.

ok Deal ...Ryder deserves a test win for his inngs was a treat to watch

 

[silentstriker]

NZ should win this by an innings.