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Chance for the Indians to create history

S. Ram Mahesh

Vettori’s return will boost New Zealand’s bid to maintain a magnificent home record

— PHOTO: AFP

KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED: Ishant Sharma bowled in the nets on Tuesday and the Indian team will assess his fitness before taking a decision on including him in Wednesday’s fourth ODI.

Hamilton: M.S. Dhoni and his men have a shot at cricketing immortality, which isn’t something that comes along often.

No Indian team has won a bilateral One-Day International series in New Zealand, and the current side, already possessed of a watertight 2-0 lead, has the opportunity to enlist in history when the fourth ODI gets underway here at Seddon Park on Wednesday.

“We are very determined to win the series so tomorrow (Wednesday) is a big game for us,” said Indian coach Gary Kirsten. “I think the team is enjoying the tour so far, and that’s the most important thing. We are encouraged by our momentum at the moment, but we are also aware of the skill that exists within the New Zealand team.”

Tendulkar ruled out

India, however, will be without the services of Sachin Tendulkar, who injured an abdominal muscle during his masterly 163 in Christchurch. Ultrasound scans revealed bruising (but no tear, fortunately for India), and the team management deemed it prudent to allow the great man time to heal.

“He’s been around for 20 years, so every time he doesn’t play it’s a setback,” said Kirsten. “But this team has got enough depth, especially from a batting perspective. There are guys itching to get on the field, and we fully back and believe in the guys that are replacing him.”

Ishant Sharma, the other Indian player under an injury cloud, bowled in the nets on Tuesday, after warming up with a series of throws to bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. India will assess his fitness before entering him in the fourth game, but the touring side could do with the pace, movement, and lift Ishant produces.

Scope for improvement

While the Indian batting has set right the foibles of the Twenty20 series, bullying New Zealand’s bowlers into a state of submission in the three ODIs, India’s bowling hasn’t been above criticism. Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar were splendid in Napier, but treated with less respect in Christchurch by openers Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum.

Zaheer again showed his control of craft and wealth of experience to return well, but Munaf Patel was disappointing. Indeed Munaf seems to reserve his best for the nets, on Tuesday bothering Gautam Gambhir with cut and bounce; if he can replicate that sort of form in the middle — and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t, for he has the skill — India will have few troubles.

Although Kirsten said the lack of quality from the third seamer wasn’t worrying him, he thought it necessary to have a meeting with the quicker bowlers (minus Zaheer) before Tuesday’s practice session.

Surprisingly, India has had less difficulty with its fifth bowler: Yuvraj Singh’s low-slung left-arm slows have been adequate; with Virender Sehwag’s street-smart off-spin in reserve, India might even be able to cover for a specialist bowler under-performing.

Resilient bunch

New Zealand was typically resilient in Christchurch, scaring India late in the game with Kyle Mills and Tim Southee doing unto India’s bowlers what India’s batsmen had done unto them. Interestingly, the pyrotechnics of Ryder, McCullum, Mills, and Southee may just have helped New Zealand’s fraught bowlers.

“I think what would have given them a bit of confidence was seeing us respond with the bat the other day,” said Brendon McCullum, who’ll hand the reins back over to Daniel Vettori. “It sort of put it into perspective that whilst 390 seems like a massive score, on these surfaces, in these grounds, 330-340 is probably par so we weren’t that off the mark as well.”

The narrative of the one-day series thus far has involved New Zealand’s bowlers getting pasted by India’s batsmen and then claiming the plans were in place but the execution wasn’t. But why precisely?

“That’s what we were trying to get a grasp on at the moment,” replied McCullum. Is it a skill issue, of not being able to execute their plans, or is it maybe a mental issue with being apprehensive and almost trying too hard not to get hurt rather than just trying to grab the ball and do as well as you can.

Looks a batting strip

The bowlers might find a little more help here at Seddon Park, for history suggests the ball tends to swing in the humid atmosphere. But the wicket, despite being doused by an afternoon shower, appears fine for batting.

Vettori’s return will boost New Zealand’s bid to maintain a magnificent home record. The side hasn’t been defeated in the last seven series in New Zealand; in its last 15, stretching back to February 2001, it has been conquered only by Australia. As you can see, India is primed to join pretty elite company.

The teams (from): New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt.), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Jacob Oram, Peter McGlashan (wk), Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel and Ewen Thompson.

India: M.S. Dhoni (capt. & wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and Dinesh Karthik.

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen and Gary Baxter.

Third umpire: Evan Watkin.

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play (IST): 6.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 10.45 a.m. till end of play.

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