TO sum it up in one word, the match was a 'disaster' for India. A journey to doom, with the side crumbling like a pack of cards. A disgraceful surrender.
This game is all about handling pressure, but the Indians appear to be just 'fair weather' cricketers. When the going is good they join the bandwagon, when the situation demands an element of character, the same men succumb.
Well, India suffered its third successive defeat in the Coca-Cola triangular one-day competition, managing just 133, pursuing New Zealand's 200 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 26.
"We have to pick players who are willing to die for the country, cricketers with the right attitude not just talent," said Indian coach John Wright to presspersons the other day and he did have a point.
But as part of the think-tank that has got little right on the tour so far, Wright too had been a party to the shattering defeats.
The confusion over the opening slots in the absence of batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has surely been one of the reasons for the uncertainty in the line-up leading to the debacle.
"Nothing wrong with the wicket," admitted Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly at the conclusion. He was right, 201 was perfectly gettable. However, Sourav's men just did not apply themselves.
That make-shift opener Virender Sehwag's 33 was the highest score of the innings does not reflect well on the others.
The asking rate was not high and the need of the hour was to build partnerships, but the Indians were in no mood to battle it out.
V. V. S. Laxman's dismissal was symbolic of the Indian surrender, the No. 3 batsman driving away from the body at a widish Darryl Tuffey delivery and dragging the ball on to his stumps.
Not far behind was the atrocious approach of Hemang Badani, who gave left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori the charge, only for New Zealand's stand-in skipper Craig McMillan to take a good catch running backwards. Laxman made one and Badani six.
Ganguly, back in the opening slot for the match, and Sehwag, who looked compact, might have received rough decisions, the former adjudged leg-before to paceman Kyle Mills when he seemed to get an inside nick and the latter declared run out by third umpire Jayasundara when he could have received the benefit of doubt, but there can be no excuses for the Indian defeat. Ganguly showed his dissent too by pointing to the bat.
The Kiwis, without their skipper Stephen Fleming who had still not recovered from a stomach upset, did nothing spectacular - they just got their basics right.
The bowling was accurate rather than threatening, fielders took their catches, and the throwing - the Kiwis effected three run-outs - was accurate.
Pacemen Tuffey and Mills provided the early breakthroughs, support seamer Jacob Oram scalped Rahul Dravid, and then left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, who has made a definite impact on his comeback, and leggie Harris gave no respite to the later batsmen. Harris' figures of 7-2-9-2 were quite sensational in the end.
Of course, Man of the Match Dion Nash, who does provide New Zealand with more depth and options, chipped it with his bit once again, making a crucial 42 when New Zealand had slumped to 143 for seven, and keeping on the pressure with the ball.
Looking back, the 43-run stand between Nash and Daniel Vettori for the eighth wicket was a vital one. The 37-ball 40 from the beefy Jacob Oram, filling in for the indisposed captain Stephen Fleming at No. 3, was the other worthwhile contribution.
Ironically, the Indians had called the shots when Ganguly elected to field taking into consideration the overcast conditions - the match started an hour late due some wetness in the pitch and the overs were reduced to 48-a-side.
The skipper himself came up with a nagging spell of seam bowling to finish with three for 32 off nine probing overs, scalping Mathew Sinclair, Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent, all three batsmen miscuing their shots.
On a day when ace offie Harbhajan Singh was not at his best, the surprise packet in the Indian spin attack was left-armer Yuveraj Singh who bowled wicket-to-wicket and reaped the rewards, dismissing Chris Harris and Adam Parore, two batsmen capable of turning things around.
It would serve India well if Yuveraj displays the same maturity in batting, the primary reason for his selection to the Indian side.
In this match, the southpaw was just getting into his stride when he chose the wrong ball to cut from Harris and paid the penalty. But then, he was not the only batsman to perish due to wrong shot selection.
It was a colossal collective failure, that underlines the importance of Sachin Tendulkar. Without him, the fizz is just not there in the Indian camp.
The scores:New Zealand: M. Sinclair c Dravid b Ganguly 36; N. Astle c Dighe b Nehra 5; J. Oram c Dravid b Harbhajan 40; C. McMillan c Badani b Ganguly 17; L. Vincent c Laxman b Ganguly 16; C. Harris c Badani b Yuveraj 12; A. Parore b Yuveraj 0; D. Nash c Ganguly b Sehwag 42; D. Vettori lbw b Sehwag 19; K. Mills c & b Zaheer 2; D. Tuffey (not out) 2. Extras (lb-1, nb-3, w-5) 9. Total (all out in 46.4 overs) 200.
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-85, 3-99, 4-108, 5-125, 6-126, 7-143, 8-186, 9-198.
India bowling: Zaheer 8-0-44-1; Nehra 7-0-36-1; Harbhajan 8-1-42-1; Ganguly 9-1-32-3; Yuveraj 10-0-24-2; Sehwag 4.4-0-21-2.
India: S. Ganguly lbw b Mills 4; V. Sehwag (run out) 33; V. V. S. Laxman b Tuffey 1; R. Dravid b Oram 27; H. Badani c McMillan b Vettori 6; Y. Singh c Parore b Harris 28; R. S. Sodhi (run out) 9; S. Dighe (run out) 0; H. Singh b Harris 6; Zaheer Khan (not out) 11; A. Nehra b Nash 2. Extras (nb-4, w-2) 6. Total (in 39.5 overs) 133.
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-9, 3-59, 4-66, 5-99, 6-111, 7-112, 8-114, 9-122.
New Zealand bowling: Tuffey 4-0-15-1; Mills 4-0-20-1; Nash 7.5-0-25-1; Oram 4-0-18-1; Vettori 10-0-33-1; Astle 3-0-13-0; Harris 7-2-9-2.
DION NASH is an all-rounder who can make a difference. A courageous cricketer who has made two stirring comebacks from stress fractures of the lower back.
In the New Zealand side, he is one of the most loved cricketers. He is known to keep the spirits in the dressing room high, is often the first to put his hand up during moments of crisis... in short he is a perfect team man.
The other day, Adam Parore, the experienced 'keeper in the Kiwi line-up said, "he is the sort of guy who gives the team confidence. He goads the others to do well, and nothing matters to him other than the team."
Nash was delighted to be playing a part in New Zealand's victories. "It's nice to be back with the team. This means so much to me."
Interestingly, Nash was a doubtful starter for the game against India because of an upset stomach. He had missed the contest at the Premadasa Stadium the previous day, a duel Russel Arnold and Suresh Perera snatched away from New Zealand.
Came the vital game against India and Nash was ready. He delivered in that typically spirited manner of his.
The Kiwis were tottering at 143 for seven when Nash was joined by Daniel Vettori, on a comeback trail too following an injury. Their 43-run stand for the eighth wicket in 44 balls gave New Zealand's final score a veneer of respectability.
Nash played some telling shots during his 57-ball 42, steering Harbhajan Singh, sweeping Sehwag and delicately glancing Zaheer, the ball travelling past the ropes on all the occasions.
And he was the last man out, flicking part-time off-spinner Virender Sehwag to Ganguly at mid-wicket, but by then he had made a typically handy contribution. And it was Nash who ended the contest in India's 40th over, castling No. 11. Ashish Nehra.
Following the injuries, Nash may have lost a bit of pace but he is still quite sharp, and has the ability to move the ball both ways. Coming in as first change, Nash maintains the pressure on the batsmen, and his return has added teeth to the Kiwi attack.
In the earlier game against India, Nash had made inroads into the line-up picking up three important wickets. The match marked the likable Kiwi's return to international cricket and getting into the stride so soon must have given his confidence an enormous boost.
However, recovering completely from a serious back problem is a gradual process, and as New Zealand coach David Trist revealed, the team management is assessing Nash's fitness on a day-to-day basis. It doesn't want him to rush things that could result in the recurrence of the injury.
Given the nature of his injury, the career of the 30-year-old Auckland born Nash is at the cross-roads. However, he has started his comeback on the right note and the signs are good, both for him and New Zealand.
As a senior in a side going through a period of transition, he has a definite role to play.
Comments
SHARE