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Ryder and Williamson hold India at bay

S. Dinakar

McCullum and Taylor steady the ship with a 104-run stand after two quick wickets

PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK

SHOWING CHARACTER:A rousing 194-run fifth-wicket partnership between debutant Kane Williamson and the mercurial Jesse Ryder enabled New Zealand close day three on a respectable 331 for five.

Ahmedabad: The often temperamental Jesse Ryder exorcised the demons within with a combative 103 under pressure at the Sardar Patel Stadium here on Saturday. And 20-year-old debutant Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 87 — an innings that dripped with character.

The rousing 194-run partnership between Ryder and Williamson for the fifth wicket enabled New Zealand, replying to India's 487, reach a respectable 331 for five at stumps on day three.

In the day's dramatic final over, Ryder thumped his chest after smashing Sreesanth through covers to notch up his third Test hundred. Then, the paceman hit back with a delivery that pitched on off and straightened to win a leg-before decision against Ryder.

Ryder was fortunate on 11 when he slashed at Sreesanth and saw Rahul Dravid grassing the offering at a widish slip. Dravid injured a finger in the process and was substituted by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Ryder's drives off either foot through covers were effortless. When Zaheer pitched short, he pulled. He swept Harbhajan and waltzed down the pitch before lofting the off-spinner over the long-on fence. He also sashayed down the track before wristing Ojha over mid-wicket.

Ryder was hampered by a muscle strain in the latter stages — Ross Taylor came in as his runner — but held firm.

Williamson displayed outstanding temperament. He picked the length quickly and moved his feet appropriately. He was poised in both defence and offence.

Williamson might have got a reprieve on 56 when he appeared to have nicked Zaheer into Dhoni's gloves. But this was a day when the Kiwi seemed to have earned his luck.

While the Kiwis deserve credit, the Indians spinners disappointed. Harbhajan tended to push the ball through quicker and often pitched short to be cut and driven. On those occasions, when he bowled slower through the air, his flight lacked dip. He failed to make an impact while bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Ryder.

Ojha too lacked accuracy tending to stray on the leg-side.

Coming together at 27 for two, Brendon McCullum (65) and Ross Taylor (56) put a lid on their naturally aggressive game to add 104 crucial runs for the fourth wicket. .

Between periods of compact defence, McCullum employed the pull stroke, drove handsomely between mid-off and cover.

When Harbhajan pitched short, Taylor employed his trade-mark cut. The New Zealander appeared good for more when he uppishly flicked a flighted Harbhajan delivery from round the wicket to V.V.S. Laxman at short mid-wicket.

McCullum was consumed by flight, dip and slight away spin as he pushed forward at Ojha. The Kiwi's foot was on the line as Dhoni whipped off the bails. The Indian captain, creditably, battled fever to bat and then keep wickets.

The second day had been eventful. First, Kiwi spinners, skipper Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel, jolted the Indian middle-order before Harbhajan's aggressive 69 carried the host to a healthy 487.

Sachin Tendulkar (40) popped up a return catch to a gleeful Patel and the left-handed Suresh Raina uppishly drove Williamson, bowling off-spin, to McCullum at short extra cover.

V.V.S. Laxman (40) fell to a precise off-spinner from Patel and Dhoni succumbed to a Vettori delivery that went through with the arm. India slumped to 412 for eight. Then, Harbhajan tore into the bowling as Ojha provided Harbhajan determined support — the ninth wicket pair raised 66 valuable runs.

New Zealand lost left-handed opener Tim McIntosh early to a Zaheer bouncer that failed to gain height. Bradley-John Watling played for spin but saw his stumps disturbed when Ojha got one to holds its line.

Then, the Kiwis displayed resilience.

India — Ist innings: G. Gambhir b Ryder 21 (41b, 3x4), V. Sehwag bVettori 173 (199b, 24x4, 1x6), R. Dravid b Martin 104 (277b, 14x4), S.Tendulkar c & b Patel 40 (133b, 5x4), V.V.S. Laxman lbw b Patel 40 (105b, 4x4), S. Raina c McCullum b Williamson 3 (19b), M.S. Dhoni cWatling b Vettori 10 (9b, 1x6), Harbhajan Singh c Hopkins b Vettori 69 (97b, 5x4, 3x6), Zaheer Khan b Vettori 1 (11b), P. Ojha lbw b Patel 11(59b), S. Sreesanth (not out) 2 (16b), Extras (b-5, lb-2, w-1, nb-5)13; Total (in 151.1 overs) 487.

Fall of wickets: 1-60 (Gambhir), 2-297 (Sehwag), 3-317 (Dravid), 4-383(Tendulkar), 5-392 (Raina), 6-392 (Laxman), 7-410 (Dhoni), 8-412(Zaheer), 9-478 (Ojha).

New Zealand bowling: Martin 24-5-75-1, Bennett 15-2-47-0, Vettori54.5-12-118-4, Ryder 17-4-56-1, Patel 29-6-135-3, Williamson12-0-49-1.

New Zealand — Ist innings: T. McIntosh c Dhoni b Zaheer 0 (10b), B. McCullum st Dhoni b Ojha 65 (122b, 11x4), B.J. Watling b Ojha 6 (22b, 1x4), R. Taylor c Laxman b Harbhajan 56 (124b, 6x4), J. Ryder lbw b Sreesanth 103 (205b, 10x4, 1x6), K. Williamson (batting) 87, Extras (b-1, lb-9, nb-4) 14; Total (for five wickets in 117.3 overs) 331.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (McIntosh), 2-27 (Watling), 3-131 (Taylor), 4-137 (McCullum), 5-331 (Ryder).

India bowling: Zaheer 19-6-38-1, Sreesanth 17.3-1-70-1, Ojha 38-8-80-2, Harbhajan 34-7-90-1, Sehwag 1-0-7-0, Raina 6-0-20-0, Tendulkar 2-0-16-0 .

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