Indian pace trio Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel gave their team an edge over the host New Zealand by bowling them out for 279 on day one of first test match. At stumps on day 1 India were 29/0 with Virendra Sehwag batting on 22 runs and Gautam Gambhir batting on 6 runs. Earlier New Zealand fought back well with the help of Jesse Ryder (102 runs) maiden test century and Daniel Vettori (118 runs) third test century after an early collapse of 60/6. At lunch New Zealand were tattering with all the top order batsman back in the hut and are in danger of being bowled out for less than hundred. But these two batters showed great commitment and application by putting record 186 runs for the seventh wicket. Indian bowlers after an early success tried hard to get these two batsmen out but they failed to do so till one an half hour of play after tea. In the morning session it was damp wicket with ball doing allot and as the game progresses it became a good wicket to bat on. I am not trying to take out the credit from these two batsmen because on any pitch it requires lots of determination and application to push the score to 279 after reduced to 60/6. Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan earlier combined to derail the New Zealand innings before lunch, after M.S.Dhoni won the toss and made unexpected decision to bowl. However his decision proved right when New Zealand batsmen are struggling to put bat to ball. Zaheer Khan after poor show in one day international settles to very good line. His bowl was moving around quite a bit, first he remove test debutant M.Guptill for 14 runs to reduce New Zealand score to 14/1 and in his very next over he dismissed D.Flynn for duck. Ishant Sharma soon joined the party by picking up three crucuial wickets of T.McIntosh (12 runs), R.Taylor (18 runs) and J.Franklin (0 runs). AT 51/5, Munaf Patel introduced into the attack and he soon dismissed dangerous B.McCullum (3 runs) to push New Zealand further down the tunnel. Munaf Patel who was criticized so much after poor show in the one day international bounce back well and given justice to his inclusion in the playing XI by providing much needed breakthrough in his 16th over. First he dismissed New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori caught behind the wicket by Dhoni and then on very next ball he bowled K.Mills for duck to reduce the New Zealand score from 246/6 to 246/8. When J.Ryder was on 98, Harbhajan remove I.O'Brien stumped by Dhoni on very first ball of his 22nd over to picked New Zealand ninth wicket. However C.Martyn survives the rest of the five deliveries of Harbhajan over to give his partner chance to reach his maiden test century. J.Ryder clubbed Ishant Sharma over square leg in the next over to reach a magical three figure mark but on the very next ball he got out to give Ishant his fourth wickets of inning. Match Summary (Day1 Stump) New Zealand 1st Inning – 279/10 in 78.2 Overs D.Vettori- 118 J.Ryder–102 I.Sharma– 19.2-4-73-4 M.Patel– 18-4-60-3 India 1st Inning – 29/0 in 7 Overs V.Sehwag- 22* G.Gambhir–6* C.Martin– 4-1-9-0 K.Mills– 2-0-18-0 |
