06 November,2010 07:07 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
Hours of batting at the nets bear fruit for Harbhajan Singh Harbhajan Singh gives it a heave on Day Two of the Ahmedabad Test against NZ yesterday. PIC/AFP
Diwali day was solely built around the possibility of Sachin Tendulkar reaching his 50th Test century. People at the ground, journalists at the press box, the ground staff, and everyone in the vicinity of Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera had almost forgotten there was a Test match taking place.
However, heartbreak struck 25 minutes prior to lunch when Tendulkar, who faced 86 balls for 27 runs yesterday, drove a half volley that he would have dispatched for a boundary nine out of ten times, straight back to off-spinner Jeetan Patel. Silence in the stands during his walk back to the pavilion summed up the emotions at the arena.
Fortunately for the holiday crowd, Harbhajan Singh's cameo saved the day.u00a0MiD DAY reported earlier this week that the Sardar was desperately eying his maiden Test century. He spent several hours in the nets with coach Gary Kirsten, and his efforts seem to have paid off.
Harbhajan's blazing career-best knock of 69 helped India recover from 412-8 to 487u00a0-- giving the hosts a distinctive edge.
"I am a little disappointed to miss a century, but glad I scored the runs. Some of my teammates told me it could be the day to score a hundred, but I have disappointed them again. Hopefully, I will get the monkey off my back soon," Harbhajan said.
"I aimed to play 10 balls. Once I was off, it was time to play my shots. This was just a bonus; my primary job is to take wickets. Hopefully I can do that," the off-spinner said.
Later, India's bowlers proved too skillful for New Zealand's inexperienced batsmen. Tim McIntosh (0) survived nine balls before edging one to Mahendra Singh Dhoni while swaying away from a Zaheer Khan bouncer.
Brendon McCullum, asked to open a Test innings for the first time in six years, counter-attacked from the other end, striking two boundaries off S Sreesanth's first over, and continued to attack other bowlers.
Pragyan Ojha was thrown the ball in the seventh over, and he repaid the skipper's faith with a gem to clean up Bradley-John Watling (6) in the 10th over.
The ball pitched on the off side, and held its line to disturb the woodwork.u00a0 Thereafter, McCullum and Ross Taylor negotiated the last hour and a half without any hiccups to take New Zealand to 69-2.
Scorecard
India 1st innings
(Overnight 329-3)
Gautam Gambhir b Ryder 21
Virender Sehwag b Vettori 173
Rahul Dravid b Martin 104
Sachin Tendulkar c & b Patel 40
V V S Laxman lbw Patel 40
Raina c McCullum b Willamson 3
MS Dhoni c Watling b Vettori 10
Harbhajan c Hopkins b
Vettori 69
Zaheer Khan b Vettori 1
P Ojha lbw Patel 11
S Sreesanth not out 2
Extras: (B5, Lb2, Nb5, W1) 13 Total: (all out in 151.5 overs) 487 Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-297, 3-317, 4-383, 5-392, 6-392, 7-410,
8-412, 9-478, 10-487.
Bowling: Martin 24-5-75-1, Bennett 15-2-47-0, Vettori 54.5-12-118-4, Ryder 17-4-56-1, Patel 29-6-135-3, Williamson 12-0-49-1.
New Zealand (1st innings):
T McIntosh c Dhoni b Zaheer Khan 0
Brendon McCullum batting 38
Bradley Watling b Ojha 6
Ross Taylor batting 18
Extras: (B1, Lb6) 7
Total: (for 2 wtks, in
28 overs) 69
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-27.
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 7-4-14-1, S Sreesanth 6-1-21-0, Pragyan Ojha 10-3-15-1, Harbhajan 5-2-12-0.
