Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Sep 1 : The second day of second cricket test match between India and New Zealnad begins here 30 earlier than scheduled time, due to closer of first day play earlier than scheduled time.
The Bracewell and Van Wyk continued to dominate on the second day morning, but Van Wyk was out for 71 (100 balls) a very good catch by Suresh Rain in the bowling of Zaheer Khan
New Zealand were 345 for 7
Being positive paid off: Guptill
Skipper Ross Taylor had said during a press conference on Thursday that the New Zealanders were fighters and would continue to fight no matter what the situation was.
That Kiwi trait troubled the Indians on day one of the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday as the visitors scurried to a healthy 328 for six before bad light forced the end of day’s play.
The other thing that Taylor emphasised a day before the Test was that the Kiwis would look to be positive, and that too was something New Zealand executed on the day.
Martin Guptill, who was out playing a rash shot after scoring a half-century, said during a media interaction that the team wanted to come out and play positive cricket and that helped the side get into a good position for the rest of the Test.
“We always come out and play positive cricket,” said the right-hander. “Luckily for us, the plan to be aggressive worked out today. We got enough number of boundaries early on in the innings and that took a load off us.”
Talking about his wicket, the opener said: “Yeah (I’m disappointed) a little bit. It’s a little bit frustrating but that is the way it goes. Sometimes you go on to make a big score and sometimes you get only half way there.”
The aggressive intent may have helped New Zealand score some quick runs but it also resulted in them losing wickets to poor shot selection, none more culpable than Guptill and James Fraklin.
“Yes and no,” said Guptill when asked if the aggressive approach cost them dear. “When you play positive you are going to give chances as well. We got away with it sometimes and not on other occasions. That’s the way cricket goes.”
Taylor, who was coming into the Test match with a mere two centuries from 42 innings, was at his aggressive best en route his 113 which came from a mere 127 balls. That innings not only gave Taylor something to smile about, it also gave the batsmen to follow the confidence to go out and take it to India.
“Ross showed some excellent footwork. He forced the bowlers to bowl some bad balls, and that worked in our favour,” noted the 25-year-old about his skipper. “It makes it a lot easier for the batsmen coming on. It takes a bit of pressure off them. Ross is a class player and some of the shots he played were really special.”
For the first time since the beginning of the two-Test series, the Kiwis do not have their backs against the wall, and when asked where the Test was headed, Guptill said: “It’ll be interesting. If we put 400-450 on the board and attack them then it’s going to put some pressure on India. There is a bit of swing and seam on this wicket and if we can pick up a few wickets early on, it’ll be great.”
Ojha happy with bowling on first-day pitch
New Zealand, under the stewardship of skipper Ross Taylor, made a fine batting effort on day one of the second Test at Chinnaswamy, rattling up a satisfactory 300-plus total.
But Pragyan Ojha, who took four wickets, said Indian bowlers did well to grab six on the day. Excerpts:
On New Zealand’s aggression: It was a good first day wicket. It wasn’t doing much. They were trying to be aggressive – that is what their game plan was. Ross played quite well, but nevertheless, we got six wickets on day one. I think everybody bowled quite well.
On his progress as a bowler: I’ve played 16 Tests so I’ve got some experience. I’m using the crease a lot and varying the pace. I feel if you hit the areas consistently and vary your pace, you’ll be quite successful.
On the nature of the pitch: There was some slow turn was there. The way things are going, it’s a good wicket to bat on. I’m quite confident the batsmen are going to get runs for us on this kind of wicket.
On getting two of his four wickets through leg-before decisions: I think that shows I’m trying to bowl straight – it’s more like if you miss, I hit. I just keep varying from there. If it straightens, it hits the pad. If it turns, it goes towards the slips. I keep it very simple.
Dhoni defies convention, again
It’s a known fact that Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni loves to defy convention. The first day of the second Test between India and New Zealand here on Friday, witnessed Dhoni taking a different route, once again.
The conditions were overcast in Bangalore with a nice breeze wafting across in the morning, and you would expect pacers – Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav -- operating from both ends. But Dhoni preferred to open the attack with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, the first time a spinner opened the bowling for India in Tests in the first innings.
India never took such a step even in the prime years of the famed spin quartet – S Venkataraghavan, EAS Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi and BS Chandrasekhar. Medium pacers Syed Abid Ali and Eknath Solkar used to take the shine away from the ball before the tweakers pressed into attack.
During the reign of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajit Wadekar as captain and coach respectively in the 90s India had notched up several Test victories at home, riding on the prowess of Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan and Venkatpathy Raju. But India then had relied on Javagal Srinath, who turned 43 on the day, Manoj Prabhakar and Venkatesh Prasad, all handy new ball bowlers, to rattle the opposition upfront before spinners took over.
This day, it might have been Dhoni’s tactic to unsettle the Kiwis, who showed fragile nerves and inadequate technique against spinners in the Hyderabad Test. But Ojha was quite prepared for the task. “He told me once the toss was over that I’m going to open the bowling, and I was quite ready for it. I kept myself blank.
“I knew the new ball wasn’t going to grip, so the best thing was to be disciplined and bowl a straight line where the batsman has to play every ball. Dhoni bhai wanted to give me new ball because there was some moisture on the wicket and the ball gripped, and he wanted me to use it.”
Perhaps, Dhoni was also making a statement by bringing in Ojha in the very first over. The Indian skipper has time and again pleaded with the authorities to give him spin-friendly pitches, but the tracks given to him have failed to live up to his expectations.
Even the Hyderabad pitch on which the spinners – Ashwin and Ojha – bagged a sackful of wickets didn’t satisfy Dhoni, and he made his thinking clear on Thursday.
The way Indian spinners struggled to make an impact on the first day, particularly during the period in which Ross Taylor dominated them with ease, proves the merit in Dhoni’s argument of exploiting the home advantage.
DH News ServiceBangalore: It’s a known fact that Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni loves to defy convention. The first day of the second Test between India and New Zealand here on Friday, witnessed Dhoni taking a different route, once again.
The conditions were overcast in Bangalore with a nice breeze wafting across in the morning, and you would expect pacers – Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav -- operating from both ends. But Dhoni preferred to open the attack with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, the first time a spinner opened the bowling for India in Tests in the first innings.
India never took such a step even in the prime years of the famed spin quartet – S Venkataraghavan, EAS Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi and BS Chandrasekhar. Medium pacers Syed Abid Ali and Eknath Solkar used to take the shine away from the ball before the tweakers pressed into attack.
During the reign of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajit Wadekar as captain and coach respectively in the 90s India had notched up several Test victories at home, riding on the prowess of Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan and Venkatpathy Raju. But India then had relied on Javagal Srinath, who turned 43 on the day, Manoj Prabhakar and Venkatesh Prasad, all handy new ball bowlers, to rattle the opposition upfront before spinners took over.
This day, it might have been Dhoni’s tactic to unsettle the Kiwis, who showed fragile nerves and inadequate technique against spinners in the Hyderabad Test. But Ojha was quite prepared for the task. “He told me once the toss was over that I’m going to open the bowling, and I was quite ready for it. I kept myself blank.
“I knew the new ball wasn’t going to grip, so the best thing was to be disciplined and bowl a straight line where the batsman has to play every ball. Dhoni bhai wanted to give me new ball because there was some moisture on the wicket and the ball gripped, and he wanted me to use it.”
Perhaps, Dhoni was also making a statement by bringing in Ojha in the very first over. The Indian skipper has time and again pleaded with the authorities to give him spin-friendly pitches, but the tracks given to him have failed to live up to his expectations.
Even the Hyderabad pitch on which the spinners – Ashwin and Ojha – bagged a sackful of wickets didn’t satisfy Dhoni, and he made his thinking clear on Thursday.
The way Indian spinners struggled to make an impact on the first day, particularly during the period in which Ross Taylor dominated them with ease, proves the merit in Dhoni’s argument of exploiting the home advantage.