***Official India in New Zealand***

[thierry henry]

btw, how much of a moron is Doull- "no shot"....wtf?!

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Franklin or O'Brilliant to take the second here. Probz Gambhir.

Haha more of this please.

 

[Athlai]

Haha! I'm on fire!

2 from 2 here.

But Dravid and Tendulkar make me nervous.

Come on O'Brilliant!!!

 

[Prince EWS]

Don't understand that at all tbh

Yeah, I don't really get it either. Hoggard's got him six times in nine Tests, and he only averages 13.6 in innings he's been dismissed by Hoggard in. There's actually one bowled and one lbw in the mix though so Hoggard I guess outsmarted him to an extent.

 

[thierry henry]

While we're in the ad-break I'm gonna say that was too high

fail

Very deserved wicket for Franklin btw, hasn't been quite as horrible as his series figures suggest

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

While we're in the ad-break I'm gonna say that was too high

I thought the same. Clipping the top of middle, according to Hawkeye. Wouldn't have been overly upset to see that given not out.

Gambhir trying the age old half a stride after the ball hits to make it look as if it hit him outside off. Nice try, but no cigar.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

While we're in the ad-break I'm gonna say that was too high

cricinfo thinks it was plumb....need TV at work

 

[thierry henry]

Yeah, I don't really get it either. Hoggard's got him six times in nine Tests, and he only averages 13.6 in innings he's been dismissed by Hoggard in. There's actually one bowled and one lbw in the mix though so Hoggard I guess outsmarted him to an extent.

Hoggard is (was?) certainly a better bowler than Southee, but in terms of bowling style he's slower, gets less bounce, and if anything bowls fuller. You would think he'd be Sehwag's dream opponent.

 

[_Ed_]

This has been the best I've seen Franklin bowl since about 2006.

 

[thierry henry]

Immaculate over there from Franklin

 

[Prince EWS]

Franklinnnnn

I really enjoyed that. I think he needs to go straight into my avatar TBH.

Confirmed.

 

[Athlai]

These two will pick up a wicket or two more before lunch.

 

[Blakey]

Nah they won't lose anymore wickets prior to lunch.

4 down at close of play at a stretch I think.

 

[Pratters]

India's best handling of difficult conditions was in England 2007, but their success under grey skies in the second test needs to be qualified by some poor batting at Lord's in the first test. Not long before that, they struggled in South Africa.

I do expect India to deal with seaming tracks if presented with them, simply because i think their batsmen are good enough to overcome them. But i don't think they've proven that they can. Certainly not time and time again.

They have proved it time and again as your example illustrates. They didn't exactly struggle in RSA and in Aus at Perth they were upto the task to win the test. Helpful conditions dont happen often enough but whenever there has been one, India and their bowlers, batsmen have mostly been class.

 

[_Ed_]

Damn. This was a chance of a confidence-boosting maiden to finish the session by Southee, and he puts down a dreadful leg side ball.

 

[Polo23]

What an utterly atrocious pitch. Can someone tell me how this is a first morning test match pitch? There is NOTHING in it for the bowlers (swing doesnt count, it has nothing to do with the pitch).

Our groundsmen are idiots, they should be sacked for this crap.

 

[MoxPearl]

oh the lol of all the talk about the wind and the cloud at the basin..

All blue sky with no wind.

PS

Sky = Worst commentators/company on this planet

 

[straw man]

Pleased with this start for NZ. Really looked like Vettori's fairly hopeful move to bowl first was going to backfire spectacularly. Great stuff from Franklin and O'Brien - two of my favourite bowlers at the moment.

 

[MoxPearl]

Wonder how much patel would have helped.. the welly boys doing good on their local track

Ps. **** pitch

 

[Days of Grace]

The only reason I can think of Vettori wanting to bowl first was that NZ would go all out to chase a 4th innings target to tie the series.

But if it starts to turn with any sort of pace on day 5, that won't be easy.