Tendulkar's ton puts India in control by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	New Zealand v India
Player:	SR Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, MJ Guptill
Event:	India in New Zealand 2008/09

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DateLine: 20th March 2009

 

New Zealand were 75/3 in their second innings at stumps on Day 3, trailing India by 166 runs, in the first Test at Seddon Park. Munaf Patel trapped night watchman Kyle Mills (2) plumb in front of the wicket on the last ball of the day, as India maintained their stranglehold in the Test. Mills was sent in as the night watchman after Harbhajan Singh dismissed Martin Guptill to reduce New Zealand to 68/2.

 

Guptill and Daniel Flynn put up a 68-run stand to steady New Zealand after Zaheer Khan struck in his first over to take the first Kiwi wicket without a run on the board. Zaheer got the first breakthrough when Tim McIntosh edged a delivery to first slip where Sachin Tendulkar lunged forward to take the catch. McIntosh stood his ground but umpire Ian Gould raised the finger straightaway. Tendulkar hurt his finger in the process and left the field. With this wicket, Zaheer became the seventh Indian to take 200 wickets in Test cricket.

 

Earlier, Zaheer got his 3rd half-century off 45 balls as India were bowled out for 520 in their first innings. Zaheer struck 8 fours in his half-century to stretch India's lead to 241 runs and frustrate New Zealand who were looking to wrap up the Indian innings after dismissing Harbhajan Singh (16) and Ishant Sharma (6). The end of the Indian first innings came when Munaf Patel (9) tried to slog sweep a Daniel Vettori delivery by one hand and was caught at fine leg by Chris Martin, leaving Zaheer unbeaten on 51. Harbhajan hit a six and 2 fours before hitting a Kyle Mills delivery to mid-off where Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori dived to his left to take the catch. Ishant hit one four before Vettori had him caught behind by Brendon McCullum.

 

Shortly before that, Iain O'Brien ended Sachin Tendulkar's magnificent innings to reduce India to 443/7. O'Brien got the prized wicket when Tendulkar edged a bouncer to first slip for Ross Taylor to take the catch. Tendulkar was looking to play the delivery on the leg side but the ball left him and took the edge. Tendulkar's magnificent innings of 160 runs was studded with 26 fours and was instrumental in putting India in control of the Test.

 

O'Brien was also the man who broke the 115-run partnership between Tendulkar and Dhoni when he had the Indian captain caught behind by Brendon McCullum. Dhoni hit 7 fours in his 47-run knock before gloving a bouncer to McCullum. Tendulkar got to 150 for the 18th time in Test cricket with the help of 150 fours to take India to 407/5 after lunch. This is the 71st century partnership that Tendulkar was involved in. Only Rahul Dravid is ahead of him for being involved in 74 century partnerships.

 

Before lunch, Tendulkar hit his 42nd century in Test cricket and at the end of the first session of the day, India led by 105 runs. Tendulkar achieved his 42nd century, his fourth against the Kiwis, with a flick to square leg off James Franklin and his century was studded with 15 boundaries. Though he was cautious in the start of his innings on Day two, Tendulkar opened up after reaching 50 and raced to 70 in no time. And on Day three, Tendulkar was nothing but outstanding. Specially amazing to watch were his two drives through the covers off consecutive overs by Chris Martin. Both the deliveries were on the same line but were of different length and Tendulkar dispatched both the deliveries, one off the front foot and the other off the back foot, to the fence with ease and both the shots had perfect balance and superb timing.

 

Tendulkar's century came after India lost Yuvraj Singh early on Day three to be at 314/5. Martin got the Kiwis the first breakthrough of the day when brought ball in from round the wicket, Yuvraj shouldered arms only to see his off stump castled. Yuvraj hit 4 fours in his score of 22. The breakthrough came after Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj resumed the Indian first innings at 278/4.