Sachin Tendulkar scored his 51st half-century in test cricket to give his team hope of getting big lead in the first inning of first test match against New Zealand at SeddonPark, Hamilton. When second days play was called off due to bad light Sachin Tendulkar (70 run not out) and Yuvraj Singh (8 run not out) both are at the crease with India just one run behind of New Zealand first inning score of 279.
Now how bigger India manages the leads in the 1st inning will all depend on the first session of third days play. If both batsman able to play the first session safely with securing their wickets then there will be no doubt Indian could easily manage lead of more than 150 runs in the first inning, which would become handy in the context of the game.
Earlier due to rain, second days play started late. As expected by many of us that both the openers will murder the New Zealand attack on day2 but the loss of Virendra Sehwag very early in the day put break on the scoring. Virendra Sehwag was undone by brilliant piece of fielding from Frankin, who throws the ball at stumps from 30 yard distance to dismissed Sehwag for just 24 runs.
However half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid and an unbeaten 70 runs from master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar allowed India to establish a solid foundation to take the lead of more than 150 in 1st inning.
After the loss of Sehwag, Gambhir (72 runs) and Dravid (66 runs) steadied the Indian innings by playing cautiously till lunch without any further hiccups. Both batsmen put on 105 runs for the second wicket before Gautam Gambhir edge one ball to B.McCullum on the bowling of Chris Martin. Dravid reached his 54th fifty in great style of 108 balls.
But after milestone Dravid got cracking delivery from I.O’Brien and the “Wall” off-stump was shattered. Before getting out he and Tendulkar put on 35 runs for the third wicket, Tendulkar and V.V.S Laxmanthen put on 61 runs for the fourth and Yuvraj Singh had added 60 runs with Tendulkar for the fifth wicket by stumps on second days play.
New Zealand could have a better day in the field if they capitalized on few chances that was put down by the fielders. First when Sachin was on 13, D.Flynn missed a skier on the bowling of captain D.Vettori and then O'Brien at deep square leg missed a tough chance of Laxman. Apart from that New Zealand will be very happy with the way they have check the Indian batsman scoring rate on day2.
