The Hindu : Sport : It's a Bond show at Bulawayo

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 27, 2005

Sport

Sport

It's a Bond show at Bulawayo

S. Ram Mahesh

THROUGH THE GATE: Venugopala Rao had no clue to this yorker from Shane Bond at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

BULAWAYO: After India's left-armers Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan set their side up for victory, moving the ball in the air and restricting New Zealand to 215, Shane Bond scythed through the Indian top-order in a scary exhibition of speed, turning the match.

And just when J.P. Yadav and Pathan threatened to take India home with a fighting, record (against New Zealand) ninth-wicket partnership of 118, the Kiwi paceman returned to dislodge Pathan.

Career-best

Bond's career-best six for 19 enabled New Zealand defeat India by 51 runs in the second match of the Videocon tri-series at the Queen's Sports Club here on Friday.

All three bowlers took the 22-yard strip out of the equation, negating its benevolence with other dimensions in the hot Bulawayo air.

Sourav Ganguly called wrong and with the briefest of nods Stephen Fleming announced he would bat. The Black Caps captain gambled with the coin spin, nominating Bond as his Super Sub and hoping to bat first.

Despite not batting out 50 overs, New Zealand came back through their spearhead. Bond made Ganguly fend off a snorter and yorked Indian Super Sub Venugopala Rao next ball. But, why had the Andhra youngster been pushed up?

Dravid, who should have come in at three, chopped a rising delivery on to his stumps, and Yuvraj hung his bat out at Adams. Nineteen for four.

Kaif slashed Bond to third-man's hands. Sehwag sliced a fast, full Bond delivery and Hamish Marshall, at point, took off. When he landed, the ball was clasped, the palm upturned. Thirty-nine for six and game over.

Bond had taken five, and raised familiar questions about Indian batsmen and quality pace. But Yadav and Pathan fought all the way, striking the ball well and keeping their heads. Both got to well-deserved half-centuries before Pathan lost concentration.

Vincent fails

Yadav followed and a match full of twists was laid to rest. It had begun so well for India. Vincent has had trouble falling over his front leg in the past, and Pathan's in-nippers triggered it.

His ninth ball snaked in, Vincent's left pad resisted, Russell Tiffin's right finger obliged. At the other end, Fleming's reach got him into trouble for once. His legs remained stuck, but his arms caught up with a Nehra outswinger.

Swing. That forgotten art ended Astle's stay, and of the first six overs, two were maidens. Twenty-six runs off ten overs and Ganguly enforced Power Play 2. Scott Styris and Marshall have been the only two Kiwi batsmen to struggle in the Tests against Zimbabwe and India could not have hoped for a better pair.

Styris looked to hit himself into form. A sashay, a hoik and he departed - Ajit Agarkar scurrying from mid-off and positioning his palms to a swirler over his shoulder a la Kapil Dev. Another Pathan inswinger to Marshall and a hat-trick beckoned. Craig McMillan thwarted it but was lucky to survive an lbw appeal soon after.

Oram and he looked to settle as the left-arm swerve of Nehra (6-3-6-2) and Pathan (8-1-34-3) faded into the less malevolent skills of Agarkar and J.P. Yadav.

Missed chances

Harbhajan was introduced in Power Play 3 and got McMillan (on 20) to sweep to a diving Yuvraj, who dropped it. An Oram chip off Harbhajan was misjudged by Agarkar. Another drop. And the 50 partnership was brought up. Oram was dropped again, by J.P. Yadav. These three drops were the difference between a target of 150 and 215.

The two power-hitters chose the path of the occasional clobber, running hard in between. McMillan went to 50 with slog six, but a comical mix-up saw the giant sacrifice his wicket.

One brings two, they say in England. Ganguly kept his field in and McMillan (54, 54b, 5x4, 2x6) played Agarkar a tad early to spoon a catch. Cairns flickered briefly, but lapped Yadav to short-fine leg in the 36th over just when the Black Caps needed him to push on.

McCullum, who is the best glove man going around, blended a pair of fast heels and a sharp cricket brain. Meanwhile, Vettori was done in by an Agarkar whiplash from the boundary.

Fresh off a Test century and a 21-ball 50, the 23-year-old wicket keeper dabbed, drove and pulled the Indian bowlers to make 49 in 39 balls before being the last man to be dismissed, New Zealand 6.5 overs short of 50.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand: L.Vincent lbw b Pathan 4, S. Fleming c Dhoni b Nehra 1, N. Astle lbw b Nehra 5, H. Marshall lbw b Pathan 9, S. Styris c Agarkar b Pathan 11, J. Oram (run out) 36, C. McMillan c Pathan b Agarkar 54, C. Cairns c Harbhajan b Yadav 20, B. McCullum c Dravid b Agarkar 49, D. Vettori run out 13, A. Adams (not out) 3; Extras (b-1, lb-5, nb-1, w-3) 10. Total (in 43.1 overs) 215.

Fall of wickets:1-6, 2-10, 3-13, 4-36, 5-36, 6-127, 7-130, 8-167, 9-199.

India bowing: Pathan 8-1-34-3, Nehra 8-3-22-2, Agarkar 7.1-0-45-2, Yadav 10-1-46-, Harbhajan 9-1-55-0, Sehwag 1-0-7-0.

Power Play 1: Overs 1 to 10, Power Play 2: 11 to 15, Power Play 3: 16 to 20.

India: S. Ganguly c McCullum b Bond 5, V. Sehwag c Marshall b Bond 15, V. Rao (sub) b Bond 0, R. Dravid b Bond 5, Y. Singh c Fleming b Adams 1, M. Kaif c McMillan b Bond 9, M.S. Dhoni c McCullum b Adams 2, A. Agarkar c Fleming b Adams 2, J.P. Yadav c McMillan b Oram 69, I. Pathan c McCullum b Bond 50, H. Singh (not out) 0; Extras (lb-1, nb-1, w-4) 6. Total (in 37.2 overs) 164.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-11, 3-17, 4-19, 5-34, 6-39, 7-43, 8-44, 9-162.

New Zealand bowling: Bond 9-3-19-6, Oram 6.2-0-41-1, Adams 8-0-37-3, Vettori 8-0-38-0, Cairns 2-0-8-0, Styris 4-0-20-0.

Power Play 1: Overs 1 to 10, Power Play 2: 11 to 15, Power Play 3: 35 to 39.Super Subs: S. Bond (for N. Astle), V. Rao (for A. Nehra).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport