Second Test tapers to a draw by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	New Zealand v India
Player:	G Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, DL Vettori
Event:	India in New Zealand 2008/09

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DateLine: 30th March 2009

 

The second Test between India and New Zealand ended in a draw as both teams agreed to call off play with India at 476/4 following-on VVS Laxman in their second innings on Day 5 at McLean Park in Napier on Monday. India still lead series 1-0, with one Test to go.

 

VVS Laxman, hitting his 14th Test century, and Yuvraj Singh, slamming his 6th half-century, remained not out on 124 and 54 respectively. Laxman hit 25 fours in his knock, while Yuvraj finally hit form to smash 10 hits to the fence. Yuvraj raced to his fifty off 51 balls with the help of 9 fours as Laxman and Yuvraj brought up their 100-run partnership off just 86 balls. Laxman hit a flurry of boundaries after tea to race to his century which he achieved through a superb cover drive off Iain O'Brien. Laxman's first century in New Zealand was studded with 20 fours.

 

Laxman and Yuvraj extended the Indian lead to 83 runs at tea after Gautam Gambhir batted for 642 minutes to score 137 before he was dismissed. The Kiwis finally ended Gambhir's innings when Jeetan Patel trapped him leg before wicket. Gambhir hit 18 fours in his marathon innings to steer India out of the woods. Gambhir's dismissal came after VVS Laxman achieved his 39th half-century through his ninth hit to the fence.

 

This was shortly after Gambhir and Laxman erased the deficit to take India to 317/3.

 

India took the lead soon after lunch when Laxman pulled a Chris Martin delivery to the mid-wicket fence. At lunch, India trailed New Zealand by 8 runs with Gambhir continued his marathon effort of batting for 557 minutes scoring 119 runs with the help of 15 fours, while Laxman hit 4 fours in his 30-run knock. The lone success for New Zealand in the first session came when India lost Sachin Tendulkar in the fifth over of the day to be reduced to 260/3.

 

The Kiwis got the early breakthrough when Chris Martin kept bowling outside the off-stump of Tendulkar who finally reached out to a wide delivery and edged it to keeper Brendon McCullum to take a good diving catch. Tendulkar hit a six and 9 fours in his 64-run knock and added 97 runs with Gautam Gambhir for the third wicket after resuming the Indian second innings at 252/2.