Once again, India's bowling unit put in an important performance just when people had stopped expecting one from them, giving the hosts a big chance of finally putting one across New Zealand. New Zealand's mindset would have been affected after the pre-toss injury to Brendon McCullum, but it was still a flat pitch, and India needed somebody to capitalise on the opposition's misfortune.
Sreesanth created those opportunities at the top. He found swing and accuracy in his first spell to remove the openers, and should have had McCullum when he was 3, but the umpire failed to pick the edge.
Playing McCullum is a decision that will be debated long and hard in New Zealand, but it should not take away from Sreesanth's bowling.
Sreesanth took some time to get into rhythm. He failed to involve the batsman for the first seven balls he bowled, operating wide outside off. Perhaps it helped that there was no McCullum eager to hit him as he warmed himself up into a rhythm. By the time he started making the batsmen play, he also started getting swing. Martin Guptill, who scored 85 at No. 3 in Hyderabad, got the best of Sreesanth. It was a back-of-a-length delivery, pitching off, making Guptill play, then shaping away a bit to take the edge. What's more, it wasn't a no-ball.
By now Sreesanth had started getting the ball to swing in towards the left-handed opener, Tim McIntosh. One of those squeezed through the gap, sending the off stump cartwheeling.