Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
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    16.6 Nice bit of bowling from Franklin. After taking the previous deliveries outside off stump, he brings this one back in. Gambhir gets forward to defend, the bat is well outside the line as the ball thuds into the pad. Dead duck. India have lost the openers after racing away like a run-away train. 75/2
    15.3 O'Brien the home boy has struck with the big wicket. It was a short-of-length delivery bouncing close outside off stump, Sehwag stayed adjacent to the line, tried to punch it through the off side and got the thick edge through to the delighted McCullum. What a rapid start he has given, though. The ball shaped in a touch to further cramp Sehwag and that did the trick 73/1
    58.1 And Dravid is gone now. It was banged in short and Dravid went for the pull but mistimed it completely and it popped slowly to the man standing in front of square leg. New Zealand are really running hot here. From 165 for 2, what a comeback. Dravid is angry with himself as he walks off, flaying his bat here and there. Perhaps, done in by the slightly extra bounce. He made contact with the top half of the bat 204/6
    42.5 It was the short of length delivery outside off stump, holding its line, Tendulkar didn't get his back foot across, stayed away from the ball and tried to punch it through cover point. Edge and gone! NZ celebrate and why not. 165/3
    48.3 New Zealand continue to gnaw their way back into the game. They have taken out Laxman now. Full and well outside off, inviting Lax to drive and he falls for it. The weight transfer isn't great and the gets a thick fat edge to left of second slip where McIntosh takes a neat sharp catch. Every time India have threatened to run away, New Zealand have fought back. 173/4
    51.3 Jesse Ryder has struck again. What a priceless cricketer to have in your side. Yuvraj was pushing his front leg across and Ryder thought, rightly, this is the time to sneak in the full one. It was full and straightening on the middle and off line, Yuvraj's front leg was planted way across and he couldn't get his bat around the pad in time. Done in by the change of length. New Zealand are tightening the noose. That would have hit the off. The ball ballooned of the pad behind the wicket and Guptill rushed from the cordon to 'catch' it as well. Hawk eye says it would just have missed the off.. I thought it would have hit the off. And tv comms are also going whether Harper gave it bat and pad catch to gully. There was no bat involved there. IT looked a good lbw shout and it was in the end. 182/5
    76.6 But don't worry NZ fans, Southee has taken out Dhoni with a bouncer. Dhoni went for the pull but top edged a simple chance to fine leg. Good innings from him but New Zealand have struck as the partnership was assuming threatening proportions. 283/7
    82.1 There was no edge in the previous appeal but he is out, hitting straight to mid-off now. Entertaining counter-attacking knock, with a few edges which would made Vettori age quickly, from Harbhajan ends. It was a length delivery outside off and Harbhajan tried to knife it on the up but ended up giving a simple catch to mid-off. Very important innings for India. Along with Dhoni, Harbhajan has pushed India over 300 315/8
    85.6 Lovely sharp bouncer and a very fine catch by Baz. Zaheer fended it off from his face and McCullum jumped with an outstretched right hand to pluck it back to the earth. Another useful innings from the tail and India edge towards 350. 347/9
    92.1 And Martin ends the Indian innings with a swinging delivery outside off stump. Ishant went for the big drive and got a thick edge through to Baz. 379/10
    not out
    15
    14
    25
    3
    0
    107.14
    Extras
    20 (b 2, lb 8, nb 7, w 3)
    TOTAL
    379 all out (92.1 Overs, RR: 4.11)
    Fall of wickets: 1-73 (Virender Sehwag, 15.3 ov), 2-75 (Gautam Gambhir, 16.6 ov), 3-165 (Sachin Tendulkar, 42.5 ov), 4-173 (VVS Laxman, 48.3 ov), 5-182 (Yuvraj Singh, 51.3 ov), 6-204 (Rahul Dravid, 58.1 ov), 7-283 (MS Dhoni, 76.6 ov), 8-315 (Harbhajan Singh, 82.1 ov), 9-347 (Zaheer Khan, 85.6 ov), 10-379 (Ishant Sharma, 92.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    CS Martin25.139843.8920
    TG Southee1819425.2200
    IE O'Brien2238924.0411
    JEC Franklin1443812.7102
    DL Vettori914705.2203
    JD Ryder42310.7501
  • BATSMEN
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    26.6 Zaheer picks his third wicket. It burst up from back of length, McIntosh hung his bat out and the extra bounce did him in. The ball flew to first slip. It cramped up McIntosh and the bat came down in an angle before he was done in by the bounce. 80/3
    17
    23
    27
    2
    0
    73.91
    6.6 Zaheer switches to round the stumps and strikes immediately. It kicked up from back of length as it came in towards the off stump. Guptil tried to defend it but the angle and the bounce did him in. The inside-edge crashed into the stumps, It was climbing over the off stump, Guptill tried to hop back, didn't get across, remained adjacent to the line and ended up edging it back to the stump. 21/1
    10.1 Zaheer Khan sends another one back to the hut. It was a length delivery outside off, shaping away, Flynn searches for it and Dhoni pockets the edge. 31/2
    41.1 and the change of angle immediately works. Taylor shapes to flick the flighted delivery on the leg stump and manages to get a faint edge back to the keeper. Dhoni deserves all the marks in the dismissal. It was a very good catch. Was there an edge, though? The snicko doesn't show anything. It did hit the back pad. Not sure whether it got a nick. Ross Taylor shows no emotion whatsover! Taylor stood there and looked up at the umpire when the appeal went up. And he turned back and walked off quickly as soon as the finger went up. Update on April 5: Ian Smith said he spoke to Taylor who said he had nicked it down leg. There was a edge. That's why he walked off without showing any signs of disappointment yesterday. Glad, that's cleared up. 120/5
    32.1 Ryder has thrown it away. It was short bouncing delivery outside off, Ryder reached out to chip it over the slip cordon but got the edge through to Dhoni. Huge huge blow for NZ. It was well outside the off stump, He hopped to reach it and got a thin under edge. Like Phil Hughes on his Test debut. 98/4
    43.2 Our readers are in a great woofing form here. Franklin departs now. He swept from the stumps but couldn't keep it down and Sehwag lunged to his left at square leg to take it inches off the turf. India are tightening the noose here. 125 for 6 and NZ tottering. 125/6
    61.3 Harbhajan takes out McCullum. It was short in length, turning in from outside off stump, McCullum went for his favourite cut shot but edged it to Dhoni 181/9
    46.3 The strategy of the bumper barrage punctuated by the full deliveries has worked. This one landed on a length outside off stump and straightened. Vettori was again caught at the crease, as if he was expecting a short one, had a waft at it, the bat came down outside the line and got the inner edge 138/7
    54.4 Wicket no 5. Zaheer is mobbed by his team-mates. Southee backed away to go for that pull but skied it up high close on the leg side and Zaheer decides to get under it himself. He throws the ball in the air and roars in delight as his team-mates converge. It has been a very very fine spell of bowling from him today to bag the five-for. 160/8
    64.6 Martin will remain not out. Again. O'Brien nicks a length delivery outside off stump. Catch no 6 for Dhoni. 197/10
    not out
    4
    5
    5
    1
    0
    80.00
    Extras
    12 (b 9, lb 3)
    TOTAL
    197 all out (65 Overs, RR: 3.03)
    Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Martin Guptill, 6.6 ov), 2-31 (Daniel Flynn, 10.1 ov), 3-80 (Tim McIntosh, 26.6 ov), 4-98 (Jesse Ryder, 32.1 ov), 5-120 (Ross Taylor, 41.1 ov), 6-125 (James Franklin, 43.2 ov), 7-138 (Daniel Vettori, 46.3 ov), 8-160 (Tim Southee, 54.4 ov), 9-181 (Brendon McCullum, 61.3 ov), 10-197 (Iain O'Brien, 64.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan1826553.6100
    I Sharma1434713.3500
    MM Patel822012.5000
    Harbhajan Singh2344331.8600
    Yuvraj Singh201005.0000
  • BATSMEN
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    167
    257
    352
    16
    2
    64.98
    88.3 The new ball has done the trick. Superbly serene innings from Gambhir comes to an end. It was full, it was straight and Gambhir tried to work it across the line, missed and was rapped in front. It landed on leg stump line and would have hit middle. Gambhir was pretty angry with himself as he walked off, muttering to himself and hitting the ground with the bat. He knows he should have played it straighter; the across the line waft did him in there 314/4
    1.6 Very nice delivery to get rid of Sehwag. It kicked up from short of length and more importantly, kept cutting back in. Sehwag lifted the bat in the air, shaping for the cut, and was surprised by the bounce and stunned by the inward movement. He tried to arch back to evade the ball but it kept coming in to take the glove and lob to first slip. Superb delivery. 14/1
    48.3 What a smart work by McCullum! what a fine anticipation. Dravid shaped to paddle sweep and McCullum moved quickly as soon as he sensed what Dravid was trying to do. Dravid paddled the ball but to his horror, there was McCullum with the interception! A fine innings is curtailed by the alert keeper. 184/2
    54.6 But he gets his man now. Fine bowling from Dan. He followed the previous quick delivery with a slower tossed-up delivery around the off stump. Tendulkar went forward to defend and nicked it low to the right of slip where Ross Taylor took a fine diving catch, picking the ball inches off the turf. This could be Tendulkar's last Test innings in New Zealand. 208/3
    61
    109
    138
    9
    0
    55.96
    90.3 O'Brein has cleaned him up with a lovely incutter. It landed on a length outside off stump, Laxman shaped to push it to off side but the ball jagged back in sharply to take out the off stump. What a nip-backer. The new ball is doing the damage here. It has produced two false strokes- Gambhir with the across-the-line waft and Laxman with a not-so-tight defensive effort. The bat was away from the body; he clearly didn't expect the ball to cut back in as much as it did. 319/5
    105.3 Martin picks out Yuvraj's weakness outside off and gets his man. It was full in length, from round the stumps, shaping away a touch and Yuvraj edges his drive straight to first slip. A breezy little innings comes to an end. 397/6
    not out
    56
    83
    -
    8
    0
    67.46
    105.6 Martin adds one more wicket to his tally. He is now equal with Morrison. (160). It was dug in short, almost chest-high and Harbhajan tried to lap it around the corner and got a thick top edge. Tim Southee ran in from long leg and nearly made a mess of it. The ball popped out of his hands as he stumbled forward to the ground. He stretched his left hand out and the ball bounced off it to his chest and he managed to press the ball to his neck and chest and some how hung on to it. Great juggling act. 397/7
    not out
    18
    31
    -
    1
    1
    58.06
    Extras
    11 (lb 5, nb 5, w 1)
    TOTAL
    434/7d (116 Overs, RR: 3.74)
    Did not bat: I Sharma, MM Patel
    Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Virender Sehwag, 1.6 ov), 2-184 (Rahul Dravid, 48.3 ov), 3-208 (Sachin Tendulkar, 54.6 ov), 4-314 (Gautam Gambhir, 88.3 ov), 5-319 (VVS Laxman, 90.3 ov), 6-397 (Yuvraj Singh, 105.3 ov), 7-397 (Harbhajan Singh, 105.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    TG Southee1225804.8300
    CS Martin2277033.1803
    IE O'Brien25610024.0000
    JEC Franklin1637204.5010
    JD Ryder612103.5001
    DL Vettori35510823.0801
  • BATSMEN
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    10.6 Catch no 182 for Rahul Dravid. He holds the world record now. A very fine effort to get there as well. Zaheer, who was working on McIntosh for a few overs now, gets the edge with a length delivery bursting away. Rahul dived forward and low to his left at third slip to take a smart catch. 30/1
    31.2 Taufel has given him after thinking about it for a while. It was delivered from round the stumps, landed on a length outside off and turned back in quickly. Guptill, one short of fifty, went right back to defend but was hurried into it and failed to put bat on ball. And he was struck in line of the off stump. It would have crashed into the stumps all right, Taufel, I think, just wanted to make sure that it had hit him in line with the stumps. It hit his front pad and that's out. 84/3
    10
    39
    43
    1
    0
    25.64
    22.3 Oh boy! he has cleaned him up and Zaheer roars! It landed on a length outside off and cut back in. Flynn stabbed it off the inner edge to his thigh and the ball fell on the stumps. Zaheer has been relentlessly working on that line, repeatedly taking the ball away before this one cut back in. Fine bowling. Flynn was caught in the crease, feet going all over and no where in the end. 54/2
    77.4 Harbhajan has yorked Ross Taylor! Done in by the extra drift. It was full, drifting in superbly from round the stumps, lands on the middle stump line, Taylor moved forward to push it to the off side but it dipped on him and he ended up yorking himself as he pushed inside the line. The drift took the ball away, outside the waft.. A fine innings, though. He started off slightly shakily yesterday before he counterattacked for a brief while before settling down for the long haul. 226/5
    31.4 Harbhajan has gone through Ryder like knife through butter. It was the quickish off break from round the stumps, drifting in superbly, before turning away. Ryder pushed at it and the edge flew to first slip. 84/4
    86.3 SRT strikes again. What a spell he is having. This one turns in from outside off stump, sharply, Franklin shuffles across, doesn't pick the extent of the turn, pushes outside the line and is struck in front of middle Tendulkar pumps his fist in the air in celebration, then turns around to appeal and see Harper's fingers go up.Tendulkar roars. India close in on the series win. Three more now. 253/7
    84.1 Huge wicket. McCullum falls. Was there an edge, though? It was the flighted leg break around the off stump line, McCullum went for the drive, the bat hit the ground, the ball turned past the edge, hit Dhoni's gloves before lobbing to Dravid at first slip. What a turning point . New Zealand six down.Hot spot shows no edge. Oh well.. Poor McCullum. He seems to have a few decisions going against him in the recent times. And this has to be big. New Zealand needed him there if they were to save this Test from here. 244/6
    not out
    15
    24
    -
    2
    0
    62.50
    89.1 And then they were two. It was floated outside off stump, Southee pushed well inside the line, thinking it would turn in a lot but it didn't. The ball went on to clip the outer edge and Dhoin snaffed it up. Snickometer shows now that the sound was bat on pad! It doesn't show any edge off the bat. 258/8
    not out
    19
    17
    -
    4
    0
    111.76
    Extras
    19 (b 10, lb 2, nb 6, w 1)
    TOTAL
    281/8 (94.3 Overs, RR: 2.97)
    Did not bat: CS Martin
    Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Tim McIntosh, 10.6 ov), 2-54 (Daniel Flynn, 22.3 ov), 3-84 (Martin Guptill, 31.2 ov), 4-84 (Jesse Ryder, 31.4 ov), 5-226 (Ross Taylor, 77.4 ov), 6-244 (Brendon McCullum, 84.1 ov), 7-253 (James Franklin, 86.3 ov), 8-258 (Tim Southee, 89.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan19.365722.9210
    MM Patel1342201.6900
    I Sharma1225704.7501
    Harbhajan Singh3385941.7801
    Yuvraj Singh10404.0000
    V Sehwag702503.5703
    SR Tendulkar904525.0000

Close of Play

  • Fri, 3 Apr - day 1 - India 1st innings 375/9 (I Sharma 15*, MM Patel 14*, 90 ov)
  • Sat, 4 Apr - day 2 - India 2nd innings 51/1 (G Gambhir 28*, R Dravid 9*, 16 ov)
  • Sun, 5 Apr - day 3 - India 2nd innings 349/5 (Yuvraj Singh 15*, MS Dhoni 16*, 97.5 ov)
  • Mon, 6 Apr - day 4 - New Zealand 2nd innings 167/4 (LRPL Taylor 69*, JEC Franklin 26*, 56 ov)
  • Tue, 7 Apr - day 5 - New Zealand 2nd innings 281/8 (94.3 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

  • We were outplayed - Vettori

    On the last day - a gloomy one - of a tough season, New Zealand had a few bright spots to hang on to. Of course, the series had been lost the day they were bowled out for 197 at the Basin Reserve

  • Rain forces draw but India take series

    The Wellington weather and a Ross Taylor century defied India asthe third Test ended in a draw with New Zealand eight wickets down

  • We'll look to bat out the day - McCullum

    No damp squib here with New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum saying the team will want to bat out the final day at Wellington instead of rain helping them draw the match. "You can't pray for rain or you can't expect rain to get you out of the situati

  • Harbhajan a revelation

    India ensured they would win their first Test series in New Zealand in 41 years - that probably hadn't been in doubt at the start of the day's play or from the time India bowled New Zealand out for 197 to get a lead of 182.

  • Wily McCullum out-thinks Dravid

    Plays of the day for day three of the third Test between New Zealand and India in Wellington

New Zealand 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st30TG McIntoshMJ Guptill
2nd24DR FlynnMJ Guptill
3rd30LRPL TaylorMJ Guptill
4th0LRPL TaylorJD Ryder
5th142JEC FranklinLRPL Taylor
6th18JEC FranklinBB McCullum
7th9DL VettoriJEC Franklin
8th5DL VettoriTG Southee
9th23DL VettoriIE O'Brien