India v New Zealand, Third Test

Green Park, Kanpur

IND: *Gavaskar, Merchant, Umrigar, Hazare, Azharuddin, Borde, +Engineer, Kapil Dev, Srinath, Venkataraghavan, Bedi.

NZL: Turner, Richardson, Congdon, *Reid, Donnelly, Burgess, Hadlee, +Smith, Taylor, Motz, HJ Howarth.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: VK Ramaswamy & PD Reporter

Green Park's second ATG Test produced its second shirtfront of a wicket, and with India already ahead in the series a draw was a result that was both predictable and inevitable. Just 24 wickets fell over the course of the five days, and when the figures of the two ATG Tests played on this ground are combined, they reveal that 2806 runs have been scored for the loss of just 40 wickets at an average of over 70 runs per dismissal; Kanpur's previous Test saw West Indies rack up ATG cricket's highest ever total of 803-2, which was followed by the unlikely pairing of Mohinder Amarnath and Javagal Srinath batting out an entire day to force the draw.

India batted first upon winning the toss, and after a rare failure from Gavaskar it was left to Polly Umrigar to anchor the innings with his second successive century. He added 89 for the second wicket with Vijay Merchant (34) who had been recalled to replace the injured Sidhu, and 121 with Azharuddin (85) for the fourth before shouldering arms to Taylor only to lose his off stump as the ball nipped back off the seam. It was an inglorious end to an innings that never really reached top gear, but Umrigar's 130 had nonetheless set India on the way to a decent first innings total. Azharuddin had been dropped by Ian Smith - in the team for the ill Parore - before he had scored, and New Zealand have paid heavily for a number of lapses in the field during the series so far.

Hedley Howarth bowled very well to record figures of 3-85 off 29 overs, but with Bracewell and Boock still injured John Reid lacked options in the slow bowling department and the hosts were eventually dismissed for 406 shortly after lunch on day 2, a reasonable total but not one that put New Zealand totally out of the game. Indeed, Glenn Turner and Mark Richardson set about proving that the Kiwis were still capable of a fight as they spent the rest of the day compiling their country's highest ever opening stand in ATG Tests.

From a position of 152-0 overnight the partnership grew to 218 before Borde induced a false stroke from Richardson, Venkat's boundary catch ending a stand that was by this time New Zealand's highest for any wicket. Richardson had contributed 85, but Turner had managed to emulate Polly Umrigar by recording his second successive hundred, eventually reaching a career best 144 before providing the deserving Srinath a wicket courtesy of a catch in the gully by Borde. Consistent batting right down the order ensured that there would be no Kiwi collapse in this match, and although no-one else passed 50, the tourists edged into the lead before their innings closed on 436 on the fourth morning.

The remainder of the fourth day degenerated into a soporific stupor as India, led by Gavaskar's four and a half hour 89, set out their stall to bat out the remainder of the match and claim the draw that would maintain their series lead. They ended the day on 183-3 from 85 overs, and only one further wicket would fall on a final day that was dominated by an enormous, unbroken stand between Azharuddin and Borde. John Reid used nine bowlers as the pair amassed 254 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket, a record for India and the third highest fifth wicket stand of all time, India finishing the match on an utterly pointless 469-4.

Chandu Borde posted his first ATG hundred whilst Azharuddin went on reach 173*, his seventh ATG century and his highest individual score; he should have been given out lbw on 91 against Taylor, but the fact that nobody seemed to care that a dozing umpire Ramaswamy missed a seemingly obvious call spoke volumes about the attitude of all concerned by that stage. India thus remain one up with two to play in the series, and one can only hope that both players and groundsmen show a far greater commitment to positive cricket over the course of the final two Tests; if not, then we could be in for a very long ten days in Kolkata and Mumbai.

Scores
IND 1st Inns 406 (Umrigar 130, Azharuddin 85, Engineer 49)
NZL 1st Inns 436 (Turner 144, Richardson 85, Congdon 48, Reid 41; Bedi 4-103)
IND 2nd Inns 469-4 (Azharuddin 173*, Borde 105*, Gavaskar 89, Merchant 46)

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: M Azharuddin