Exhausted Black Caps need break

India cruises to draw

Frustrating day for Black Caps

Black Caps post huge total

Ryder and Taylor to the rescue

Reuters

INDIA’S SECOND WALL: Gautam Gambhir played a marathon innings of 10 hours and 42 minutes for 137 runs. The Black Caps are taking a three-day break after the second cricket test against India.

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New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori has prescribed three days rest for his exhausted bowlers after their valiant attempt to win the second cricket test against India.

The New Zealand attack, led by Chris Martin, wheeled down 273 overs, stretching over three days, in an attempt to square the series but in the end the easy-paced pitch and Gautam Gambhir's (137) resilience had the final say and the match was drawn yesterday.

The third test starts in Wellington on Friday and New Zealand will take confidence they can compete with not only the tourists but also weary bodies at the Basin Reserve.

Martin will be the main concern. He had a wonderful test but bowled 54 overs during a concentrated period, a lot for a lean man. In the first innings he captured his 150th wicket, in the second he removed Sachin Tendulkar (64) yesterday morning to give New Zealand a glimmer of hope.

"We've got three days, we've got to rest up pretty quickly," Vettori said.

"The bowling loads were spread out pretty evenly but three days standing up does take some toll on bodies.

"The next two days, how we bounce back from that, will be crucial, and if we have to bowl first on that first morning in Wellington I expect the same intensity that the guys brought into this test match."

Exactly 1400 runs were scored for the loss of 23 wickets at Napier's McLean Park.

There was one double-hundred and four centuries posted, raising questions about whether having such batsmen-dominated conditions constituted a good test match. India crawled along yesterday until the game was safe then WS Laxman (124 not out) and Yuvrag Singh (54 not out) put the hammer down in an inconsequential partnership that blew the score out to 476-4.

Neither Vettori nor his Indian counterpart, Virender Sehwag, were prepared to criticise the surface but the latter suggested they never felt threatened after being asked to follow on.

"We knew we had the players who could bat a couple of days," Sehwag said. "Laxman, [Rahul] Dravid, Gautam, Sachin Tendulkar they can bat for two days. The dressing room atmosphere was fantastic."

Gambhir was described as "India's second wall" by Sehwag, a reference to his Dravid-like marathon innings that spanned 10 hours and 42 minutes.

"Gautam played his lifetime innings. He played for almost 11 hours, he was the one that saved the game for us, so we can call him the second wall of the Indian cricket team."

Gambhir gave one chance yesterday on 125 but Iain O'Brien spilled it at mid-on, much to the frustration of the bowler, Vettori. India would effectively have been 13-4 but Vettori did not regard it as a defining moment.

"When Tendulkar was dismissed there was some spirit in the team. We thought the new ball was coming along and it would give us an opportunity but the wicket got the better of us," he said.

It is hard to find fault with New Zealand's performance over the last five days.

The batsmen put a big total on the board then the standards never slipped in the field.

Now New Zealand head to Wellington for what Vettori hopes is a surface that plays into their hands more. By that he means bounce.

"The guys feel pretty good. Everyone in the sheds is in pretty good spirits they're happy with the fightback from the last test.

"I suppose we now want something different to this wicket. It gives both teams an opportunity for a result. I think if we came across the traditional Basin Reserve deck then we'd be happy with that."

The team for the third test will be named this morning and it is expected Daniel Flynn will be recalled and have to undergo another fitness test on his hand.

- © Fairfax NZ News