India vs. New Zealand 2nd Test match: McCullum keeps New Zealand’s hopes alive
As the sun descended on the fourth day of the second Test match between India and New Zealand, Brendon McCullum drove the Kiwis to a saving point from the border line.
When the Black Caps started their innings, it looked as if India was in total control of the match. The Kiwis were trailing behind by 122 and there was not much hope for them to draw the test, let alone win it. However, the openers gave positive
hope to the New Zealanders as they wiped off the deficit in 35 overs thanks to McCullum who made his third century in five Tests this year in a bid to save his team from a loss. He assaulted the hosts by playing his strokes tastefully and tactfully. India,
however, kept on building the pressure by taking timely wickets.
At the time when McCullum was being ably supported by Tim McIntosh, the partnership was broken by left arm spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/PP-Ojha-c2198. McIntosh was especially unlucky as he was just a run short of completing his half century in the Test but was given out even
though his bat didn’t seem to touch the ball. The umpires replayed the delivery of the ball and ruled in favor of the bowler.
After the dismissal of McIntosh, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 kept on removing the wickets that were forming potential threatening partnerships with McCullum. However, McCullum stayed strong and remained unbeaten at 124 at the end of the fourth day. He played with
a very calculated approach to attack the bowlers and it did work for him as his innings gave his team a new hope to remain in the game.
Earlier, India again gave enough excitement with Harbhajan Singh scoring his second consecutive century that guided his side to 472 in their first innings against the Black Caps at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hyderabad-c792. Singh,
who is now the only No. 8 to score back to back centuries in Tests leapt in the air to celebrate as he completed his century. Singh was not out on 111 and was ably supported by Sreenath whom he added 105 runs with for the last wicket.
The last 25 minutes of the match saw Kiwis right hand batsman Kane Williamson defending himself from the wrath of Harbhajan’s aggressive bowling. The Indian team brought in the fielders to a close up position in order to build-up extra pressure
on the batsman.
Day 5 would begin with McCullum (124) and Williamson (12) at the crease as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 lead by 115 runs with six wickets remaining.
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