India in NewZealand: 3rd Test : Team News

Faced with a must-win situation to level the series and salvage pride, New Zealand captain Daniel vettori will be hopeful of a better performance from the side after losing momentum in the middle of the second test match at Napier. For India, Dhoni has been slated to be part of the team, however this decision still hangs in balance after the team management announced that the final decision will only be taken on the first morning of the match. For New Zealand, Injured Daniel Flynn returns, Tim Southee has also been recalled.


The Conditions and the pitch will assist the faster bowlers. NZ have named additional fast bowler, Tim Southee in their 13 man squad for the third test at wellington to be played on April 3rd 2009. The 13 man squad also includes Daniel Flynn who returned to the side after sustaining a injury on the left hand during the second test. Jamie How, who played in the place of Daniel Flynn has also been named in the squad as cover player for Flynn. Addition of Southee could spell his return to the test squad having not played since the Adelaide test against Australia in December. Southee however made an appearance during the christchurch ODI where he was hit for over 100 runs in his ten overs courtesy Virender Sehwag. His return however is marked by consistent performances in the domestic tournaments. Catain Daniel Vettori will hope for a repeat performance from his batsman as they face up against what proved to be a strong batting line-up from India.

A lot will however depend on the opening batsman from both the sides. For India, Gautam Gambhir displayed a full range of defensive strokes in his innings of 137 to save the second test match. Virender Sehwag will be looking to settle down before he displayed his full range of strokes against the kiwi bowlers. For NZ, Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh will need to build a bigger and a better partnership to give Jesse Ryder the kind of start he needs to build his innings on. Indian Bowlers on the other hand have to find a way to get Jesse Ryder out, The only way he's gotten out in the innings he's played so far is a stroke of lack of concentration, But all this came only after he'd scored big hundreds. India should also be looking to field better as they had a very bad outing on the field during the second test.

Zaheer and Ishant should be a handful given their ability to swing the ball even though most of the Kiwi batsmen have played a lot of cricket at this venue. Munaf Patel is the ideal third seamer in the Indian scheme of things.Though there was no official word on Dhoni’s fitness, the Indian captain looks set to wrest the reins after sufficient rest for his bad back, if his energetic practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday are any indication. It is evident that the skipper is eager to get another series win in his bulging bag.



Brendon McCullum on Conditions: “I think they (the Indians) will find it a little bit cold. If we find it cold here, no doubt they will be freezing. I am sure from their point of view they will be hoping that the wind dies down and the sun comes out but from ours, it will be great to have them on the park when the conditions are like this. I am sure we are going to find the conditions a little bit more pleasurable than they are,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s usually a pretty good surface but depending on what the overhead conditions do over the next few days it will determine whether some moisture goes into it from those or whether it remains dry and plays as flat as it is predicted,” the 27year-old added. “We are more confident than we were after the Hamilton Test. It’s just the nature of how we competed in the last game and whilst we didn’t get the result, we should be a little bit wary about the confidence we do have,” he said.

Match telecast at 3.30 am IST on Friday.

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Kunal Janu
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India in NewZealand: 3rd Test : India welcomed by cold and wet weather

Indians arrived at wellington with a indispensable lead of 1-0 and when they reached the gorund, Basin Reserve, two days before the test, there was a chill in the air and the skies overcast. The Temperature was at 10 degrees celcius and the winds blowing at around 30 kmph, 30 % of what Harbhajan bowls. The match hangs in the balance between weather and conditions more than how the teams line up. If there were tough conditions to play cricket on any where around the world, it's here at Basin reserve, Wellington, New Zealand in the month of April with the winter just strating to set in.



Having felt at home in the first 2 matches treated to Home like conditions, The Indian team will most likely find it difficult to face up with the swinging ball in the park. There is hardly any cover around the ground, the stands are grass lands with almost no height what-so-ever. A chill hangs in the air here and the Indians, so far in their comfort zone, will most likely find it difficult to negotiate the swinging ball on the park. They do not have a good record at the Basin either.

The last time they played a Test here, in 2002, the Indians were exposed, being bowled out for a mere 161 and 121 in the two innings as they lost the match by 10 wickets inside three days.

Only Rahul Dravid (76) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) could manage a half-century each in the match. However, Zaheer Khan had exploited the windy conditions very well to take a five-wicket haul. A similar show will be expected of him this time around as well. Ishant Sharma will test the NZ batsman with nippy bouncers and in swinging deliveries. That is if the weather holds good.

New Zealand have a pretty good record at this ground, having scripted massive victories — either by innings or 10 wickets. They have won three of the last five Tests played at the venue. Much is at stake as the hosts will be keen to keep their record at home against the Indians intact — India have not won a Test series in New Zealand since 1968. However, Dhoni and his men are determined to do it against the odds. It would take some application and courage though, to withstand the conditions. That the present Kiwi bowling line-up is not too penetrative and is sapped of strength having been put through the grind for 273.5 overs in Napier should work in visitors’ favor. But the Indians would do well to remember their collapse in the first innings of the second Test and not take the opposition lightly in surroundings that suit them.

The Weather looks good for the first 2 days with the Met department predicting sunny days on Thursday and Friday, weekends have been predicted cloudy. With the ground located at the base of the mountains, The chances of rain are simply unpredictable. Last time WI played NZ at this ground and most part of the match was washed out. A lot also depends on the wicket.It should offer a lot of bounce for the fast bowlers, the batsmen will be put through tough tests without doubt. But the Indians can draw confidence from the fact that five of their top six batsmen have scored at least a half-century in the Napier Test.



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