You can celebrate early!
A historic series victory against New Zealand is all but accomplished, writes Crowe
India can start celebrating their first series win in NZ for over 40 years. Through Zaheer Khan they lifted their energy and intensity and were simply way too good throughout the day.
On days like this NZ look the worst Test team in the world bar Bangladesh. No one, with the exception of Taylor for 2 hours, had any idea about how to build an innings around solid defence and risk free stroke play.
Fixtures | Ind Squad | NZ Squad
Third Test – Basin Reserve, Wellington
- Scorecard | English | Hindi
- Action in Images | Day 1 | Day 2
- Live Webcast & VODs
- Analysis: Think before you preach
- Analysis: Kiwis have themselves to blame | Zaheer: The Smart Operator
- Stats: Zak Strikes Zenith
- Stats: India’s best showing (in terms of runs) on Day 1 of a Test
Guptill has no back foot play as yet, which for an opener is risky business. McIntosh has boatloads of concentration but no front foot technique as yet, which for an opener is very slow going. Flynn is very young and needs time. Ryder changed bat manufacturers and so abandoned his lucky 201 bats.
That makes no sense to me. He looked distracted and played a very loose shot, so unlike the way he played a week earlier. Franklin isn’t a number 6’s bootlace. He’s a bowler who can bat 8, if he is good enough to be picked as a bowler first. McCullum bats too low and Vettori too.
As a result of these weaknesses, India pounced and tore apart as they went in for the kill in no uncertain terms.
No doubt disappointed with their bowling effort in Napier, they used that for motivation and showed who the real boss in this series is.
The real boss is MSD. He not only skippered with great precision and feel, but also became the first Indian wicketkeeper to take 6 catches in an innings. That’s what India missed in Napier and here in Wellington, he looks likely to be the man of the match.
India will bat on to get a lead of 500 if possible and will then exploit the same weaknesses of this mediocre NZ side for the last time.
Sadly what shaped to be a wonderful contest, if the first day was any indication, has now become an Indian procession to victory.
India rule here in Windy Wellington.