Ruthless India demolish NZ to win series
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
NAGPUR, Nov 23 (AFP): India rode on some inspired spin bowling to thrash New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs in the third and final Test Tuesday and claim the series 1-0.
Spinners Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Suresh Raina shared seven wickets before paceman Ishant Sharma finished off the tail, bowling out New Zealand for 175 early into the second session on the fourth day of the match.
New Zealand started the day needing 349 runs to avoid an innings defeat after conceding a huge 373-run lead to India who made 566-8 in their first innings, built around a 191-run knock by Rahul Dravid.
The visitors, weighed down by the enormity of the task at hand, crumbled without much resistance to gift top-ranked India one of their biggest Test wins in recent times.
"We did not expect the game to end so early," said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "It was important to start well. We knew the track was turning so we wanted to capitalise on that and take some early wickets.
"Our spinners got turn and bounce with the new, hard ball in the morning. It was one of those days when everything went to our plans."
India owed their success as much to the pacemen who struck early blows on the first day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium to bowl out New Zealand for 193 and set the stage for victory.
"We lost the match with the bat," said New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori. "Winning the toss, batting first and then making only 193 is not something that will win you a Test match.
"I thought Sharma was the difference between the two teams. He got three wickets in the second innings, but also four in the first."
New Zealand, placed at number eight in Test rankings, suffered their second batting collapse in the match after resuming the day on 24-1.
Ojha (2-67) picked off his first victim in the second over of the morning, trapping overnight batsman Brendon McCullum (25) leg before wicket with a ball that pitched on the middle stump.
McCullum, who came in to open the second innings after batting at number eight in the first due to back spasms, finished as the highest run-getter for New Zealand with a tally of 370 from three Tests.
Ojha then claimed Martin Guptill for a golden duck in his next over to leave New Zealand tottering at 38-3.
The bowler, however, missed out on a third wicket after his appeal for a leg before off Ross Taylor was turned down by umpire Simon Taufel. TV replays showed the ball would have hit the middle stump.
Harbhajan (3-56) joined in the action soon, removing struggling wicket-keeper batsman Gareth Hopkins (eight) who tried to drive the ball away but ended up being caught brilliantly by a diving Gautam Gambhir at short leg.
India 566 for 8 dec. (Dravid 191, Dhoni 98, Gambhir 78, Sehwag 74) beat New Zealand 193 (Ryder 59, Ishant 4-43, Ojha 3-57) and 175 (Ishant 3-15, Harbhajan 3-56) by an innings and 198 runs.
Spinners Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Suresh Raina shared seven wickets before paceman Ishant Sharma finished off the tail, bowling out New Zealand for 175 early into the second session on the fourth day of the match.
New Zealand started the day needing 349 runs to avoid an innings defeat after conceding a huge 373-run lead to India who made 566-8 in their first innings, built around a 191-run knock by Rahul Dravid.
The visitors, weighed down by the enormity of the task at hand, crumbled without much resistance to gift top-ranked India one of their biggest Test wins in recent times.
"We did not expect the game to end so early," said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "It was important to start well. We knew the track was turning so we wanted to capitalise on that and take some early wickets.
"Our spinners got turn and bounce with the new, hard ball in the morning. It was one of those days when everything went to our plans."
India owed their success as much to the pacemen who struck early blows on the first day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium to bowl out New Zealand for 193 and set the stage for victory.
"We lost the match with the bat," said New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori. "Winning the toss, batting first and then making only 193 is not something that will win you a Test match.
"I thought Sharma was the difference between the two teams. He got three wickets in the second innings, but also four in the first."
New Zealand, placed at number eight in Test rankings, suffered their second batting collapse in the match after resuming the day on 24-1.
Ojha (2-67) picked off his first victim in the second over of the morning, trapping overnight batsman Brendon McCullum (25) leg before wicket with a ball that pitched on the middle stump.
McCullum, who came in to open the second innings after batting at number eight in the first due to back spasms, finished as the highest run-getter for New Zealand with a tally of 370 from three Tests.
Ojha then claimed Martin Guptill for a golden duck in his next over to leave New Zealand tottering at 38-3.
The bowler, however, missed out on a third wicket after his appeal for a leg before off Ross Taylor was turned down by umpire Simon Taufel. TV replays showed the ball would have hit the middle stump.
Harbhajan (3-56) joined in the action soon, removing struggling wicket-keeper batsman Gareth Hopkins (eight) who tried to drive the ball away but ended up being caught brilliantly by a diving Gautam Gambhir at short leg.
India 566 for 8 dec. (Dravid 191, Dhoni 98, Gambhir 78, Sehwag 74) beat New Zealand 193 (Ryder 59, Ishant 4-43, Ojha 3-57) and 175 (Ishant 3-15, Harbhajan 3-56) by an innings and 198 runs.