da aviator aposta： Sachin Tendulkar scored his 42nd Test century and gave Seddon Park abatting masterclass as India established a stranglehold on proceedings onthe third day
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran20-Mar-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sachin Tendulkar played some memorable shots during his 42nd hundred•Getty Images
Sachin Tendulkar scored his 42nd Test century and gave Seddon Park a batting masterclass as India established a stranglehold on proceedings onthe third day. Having started the day one run in arrears, they piled up242 in two sessions before dismissing both New Zealand openers and KyleMills, the night-watchman, in 31 overs before stumps. With HarbhajanSingh getting sharp turn and Munaf Patel hinting at some reverse swing,New Zealand’s prospects of saving the game were decidedly slim.Tendulkar’s hundred took just 168 balls and his positive intent neverallowed the bowlers to settle. India lost Yuvraj Singh to an error ofjudgement but though Mahendra Singh Dhoni was initially subdued, a 115-runpartnership gave India an advantage that weren’t likely to relinquish.Over the past few months, there have been several glimpses of theTendulkar of old, the peerless strokemaker who just came out and playedwithout a thought for the cares of the world. That was in evidence againin the morning, with some magnificent strokes played all around thewicket. The tone for the day was set in the very first over with a lovelycover-drive after Yuvraj had clipped Chris Martin off the pads twice forfours.In Martin’s next over, Tendulkar played a gorgeous back-foot cover-drive,and when Iain O’Brien was glanced and then cut for four, he was into the90s. The partnership was beginning to look ominous when Martin gave NewZealand some respite. Coming round the wicket, he got the ball to nip backa smidgen off the seam. Yuvraj watched it all the way and just shoulderedarms. The ball took off stump.Dhoni edged the first ball he faced just short of third slip, but all eyeswere on Tendulkar. A wonderful stroke through cover off O’Brien took himto 99, and a wristy tuck on to the onside when James Franklin came on tobowl had the crowd on its feet, to acclaim a man whose feats are unlikelyever to be matched.The punishment was far from over though. Jesse Ryder had been miserly onday two, but 24 hours later, Tendulkar greeted him with an on-drive, adeft swish behind point and a nonchalant clip off the pads. Of the 66 runsscored before drinks, he had made 47.Dhoni was watchful at the other end, with only a fluent cover-drive offFranklin offering a glimpse of the strokes at his disposal. Daniel Vettoricame on and bottled one end up, unlucky perhaps not to get an lbw decisionagainst Tendulkar, but the slumping body language of his team-mates saidit all.It only got worse after lunch. Tendulkar swept Vettori for four and wasruthless in his execution of the cut when Martin dropped short and wide.When he tapped one down to third man, he had his 18th score of 150 ormore, and the century partnership came up soon after as Dhoni unleashed awithering off-drive off Martin.It was the impressive O’Brien that gave his beleaguered team some respite.The third umpire was needed to make sure that Ryder hadn’t caught Dhoni atgully after another fierce cut, but India’s captain was on his way threeballs later after gloving a short-pitched delivery behind. Then, after animmaculate punch down the ground off O’Brien, Tendulkar’s 260-ball effortended with an edge to first slip, after he tried to fend a bouncer downtowards fine leg.By then, the lead was 164 and though Vettori took a smart diving catch atmid-off to end Harbhajan Singh’s cameo, there was further punishment fromZaheer Khan, who hit the ball through and over the covers with the ease ofa frontline batsman. The hapless Mills went for three fours in an over,and the 500 came up right after Daniel Flynn had put Zaheer down offFranklin’s bowling. Zaheer celebrated that chance with two whiplashesthrough cover, and a risky single soon after gave him 50 from 45 balls andadded insult to considerable injury.Vettori was tidy while O’Brien and Martin toiled hard but the lack ofquality from the back-up bowlers was glaring, especially against the tail.There were bound to be changes for Napier, but as they headed for thedressing room after Munaf holed out, all thoughts were on survivingHamilton.When New Zealand batted a second time, Tim McIntosh lasted just three balls. There were doubts over whether the edge off Zaheer carried to Tendulkar at first slip and the fielder himself went off with a badly jammed and bleeding finger. Tendulkar later clarified that his finger was sore, but had not been broken. Martin Guptill andFlynn slowly set about building the innings with Guptill playing some gloriousstrokes through the covers and working the ball neatly off his pads. Theshot of his innings was undoubtedly a swivel-pull for six off IshantSharma.All the good work was undone in the final few minutes though. Guptill wasjust two short of a half-century on debut when he played a lazy drive atHarbhajan for Virender Sehwag to take a tumbling catch at mid-off andMunaf then trapped Mills in front with the last ball of the day. Theshouts of celebration reverberated around the ground, and the Indians tooktheir time to walk off after a day when pretty much everything had gonetheir way.