|
Mohali, Oct 20:
India put their enviable home reputation in jeopardy before relying
on V V S Laxman's class and determination to save the blushes as the
two-match Test series against New Zealand ended in a draw here
today. After failing to avoid the follow-on by just seven runs, the
hosts were in real danger of suffering their first series defeat at
home for a fairly long time after being 18 for three at one stage.
But Laxman (67 not out) and newcomer Aakash Chopra (52) saved the
day with a resolute 110-run fourth wicket partnership. The Indians
were a pale shadow of themselves as they struggled right through the
final day to save the embarrassment of a defeat and also to keep
their reputation intact in what was billed as the "revenge
series".
The Indians scored
136 for four in their second innings before play was called off with
six mandatory overs still remaining. The visitors raised hopes of
recording their first ever series win on Indian soil after
dramatically bundling out India for 424, seven runs short of the
follow-on target and then tightening the grip on the match by making
early inroads into the formidable Indian batting line up. Although
the Test series ended in a draw, New Zealand definitely emerged the
moral victors having outplayed the hosts in almost all the
departments of the game in their own den. The Kiwi bowlers, however,
got some assistance from the fifth day track.
Laxman, who
remained unbeaten with a patient 104 in the first innings, stood
bravely amidst the ruins as he took upon himself the task of saving
the match on a day which saw as many as eight wickets fall mainly
due to some fiery bowling by Daryl Tuffey. The home team's battle
for survival began on a disastrous note as they lost first innings
centurion Virender Sehwag for just one run with Stephen Fleming
latching on to a smart catch at first slip off Tuffey who generated
a fair amount of pace in his first spell. Tuffey struck another
vital blow when he removed stand-in captain Rahul Dravid (5) with
Fleming taking a brilliant low catch in first slip and suddenly the
Indian innings looked in total disarray.
Joining forces
after the cheap dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar, the duo of Chopra and
Laxman made a valiant effort to steady the innings as they tried to
pull the hosts out of the mess with some watchful batting. Laxman,
who looked to be in very good nick, was the more aggressive of the
two batsmen as he produced some delightful strokes while newcomer
Chopra was quite content in playing the sheet anchor's role. The
stylish Hyderabad batsman opened up a little more after the tea
interval and picked Vettori for some special treatment. Laxman
notched up his 17th Test half century by taking a single off Tuffey
when he returned for the second spell from the far end. Chopra
produced a glorious square drive to the boundary off Wiseman to
register his second successive half century but departed in the very
next ball bringing an end to the face-saving 110-run partnership.
Chopra went for a
forward defensive shot but could not keep the ball to the ground and
Mark Richardson held on to the catch at forward short leg. His
160-ball knock was studded with eight boundaries and came in 228
minutes. Needing 41 runs to avoid the follow-on when play began this
morning, the Indians lost the remaining four wickets in dramatic
fashion to fold up at 424 shortly after the drinks break to raise
Kiwis' hopes of registering their first series win on Indian soil.
Resuming at the overnight score of 390 for six in reply to New
Zealand's mammoth first innings total of 630 for six declared, the
Indian tailenders failed to rise to the occasion as the lanky
paceman Daryl Tuffey tested the Indian late order batsmen with a
fiery spell. First to depart was Anil Kumble (5) who was run out
following a brilliant piece of fielding by Tuffey. He stopped the
ball with a diving effort and regaining balance quickly Tuffey hit
the stumps with an under-arm flick that caught Kumble well short.
Harbhajan Singh (8)
was next to go backing up too far at the non-strikers end. The
off-spinner also got the third umpire's verdict after Ian Butler
managed to deflect the ball on to the stumps off a firm straight
drive by Laxman. The two quick wickets saw India slump to 408 for
eight and the threat of follow-on loomed large at that stage.
Lakshmipathy Balaji, playing only his second Test, was under
enormous pressure coming into bat with India in the pits. However,
the fast bowler had his share of good fortune when he was dropped
twice by wicketkeeper Robbie Hart. The stylish Laxman had to
shoulder the responsibility of steering India out of the follow-on
threat and tried to shield Balaji as much as possible by refusing to
take the runs in the first few balls of every over.
Laxman completed
his fifth Test century when he took a couple of runs off Tuffey and
looked quite comfortable in the middle despite wickets falling at
regular intervals. Laxman and Balaji took the score to within seven
runs of the follow-on target before Balaji's luck ran out, falling
prey to Tuffey off a gem of a delivery which swung out from a good
length spot. Balaji only managed to snick the ball and wicketkeeper
Hart made no mistake this time. Last man Zaheer Khan was dismissed
off the very first ball he faced from Tuffey to leave the sparse
crowd at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in a daze. Laxman
remained unbeaten on a 262-ball 104, an effort which contained 11
boundaries and compiled in 422 minutes. This is the fourth occasion
that New Zealand have enforced a follow-on against India and only
the second time on Indian soil. (Agencies)
Published: Monday,
October 20, 2003
|
