New Zealand v India - Second Test

McLean Park, Napier

New Zealand: GM Turner, B Sutcliffe, BE Congdon, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, DN Patel, +KJ Wadsworth, BR Taylor, RO Collinge, HJ Howarth.
India: SM Gavaskar, MH Mankad, M Amarnath, VS Hazare, M Azharuddin, *MAK Pataudi, Kapil Dev, M Prabhakar, +SMH Kirmani, L Amar Singh, S Venkataraghavan.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: AR Crafter (AUS) & D Sang Hue (WI)
Toss: India

After a thrilling finish in Christchurch, heavy rain in Napier threatened, quite literally, to turn the second Test into something of a damp squib. The whole of the first day was washed out, and only ten overs were possible before tea on day two as heavy skies once again wrapped McLean in a dark shroud. India were batting by this time, Pataudi having won the toss and chosen to take first use of a frankly substandard looking wicket, and an extended evening session saw the tourists make their way to a creditable 183-3. Mohinder Amarnath and the fit-again Mohammad Azharuddin were both established at the crease by the day's end, and on the third morning they both reached centuries as New Zealand's attack was again found wanting without the services of Richard Hadlee.

Hedley Howarth and the recalled Dipak Patel were able to constrict the flow of runs somewhat, but the new ball disappeared in a flurry of boundaries, and India's fourth wicket partnership had reached 182 before fortune suddenly began to favour the Blackcaps. John Reid picked up the vital scalps of Amarnath, Azharuddin and Pataudi in the space of six balls after lunch, and then the sky caved in on India as the innocuous medium pace of Bevan Congdon claimed three wickets in a single over to complete a quite incredible spell of 4-0 in 13 balls and finish off the tourists for a total of 305. From the comfort of 279-3, India had lost their last seven wickets for just 26 runs in a collapse that completely eclipsed those of New Zealand in both innings in Christchurch, and Congdon had finished with the incredulous figures of 4-3-1-4, understandably the best return of his ATG career.

Whilst it was clear that runs could be scored on this pitch, India's demise proved that you had to get in first, and unfortunately for New Zealand none of their batsmen were able to hang around long as India dramatically took control of the game during the remainder of the third day. Only Turner (33) and Patel (34) made it past 12 as Kapil Dev and Prabhakar ran riot, and with the help of five lbw decisions - three of which, all given by umpire Sang Hue, were marginal at best - the Kiwis were bundled out for a paltry 120 halfway through the fourth morning, Prabhakar finishing with the first five wicket haul of his ATG career.

India's lead was 185, and they were now in a prime position to force victory in a match that looked like it was going nowhere only a day previously. The tourists lost wickets early in their second innings though, and when Wadsworth pulled off a neat stumping to dismiss Azharuddin for 5 and give Congdon his fifth wicket of the match, India had been reduced to 63-4 and New Zealand were still in the hunt, albeit marginally. Pataudi, on 7* at the time, survived when Wadsworth missed a difficult leg side catch off Taylor though, and this let off proved crucial as erstwhile skipper Gavaskar hooked up with the current captain to the tune of 126 runs for India's fifth wicket.

Pataudi eventually went for 60, but Gavaskar eventually reached his century shortly before stumps after five hours of intense concentration on an increasingly untrustworthy wicket. It was a commendable effort, but in allowing Gavaskar to progress to three figures, Pataudi precluded the early declaration that would have given his bowlers a shot at the tourists before the close, and his eventual overnight termination of the innings gave New Zealand the impossible target of 400 for victory on the final day. Survival was now the only option for the Kiwis, and after the early loss of both openers, Congdon, Crowe and Donnelly set about ensuring that the series would remain alive going into the third and final Test.

Congdon made 33 before edging Prabhakar into the slips, then Crowe and Donnelly both contributed watchful fifties to a fourth wicket stand of 81 that took the score to 135-3 halfway through the final afternoon. Crowe fell for 64 - his third fifty in four innings - when he swept Venkat into the hands of Prabhakar, but Donnelly held firm, and a few slices of luck coupled with a return of the rain of the first two days allowed New Zealand to bat out time and salvage the draw. The series now moves to Auckland for the final Test, and all New Zealand fans will be hoping for the return of Richard Hadlee and the chance to avoid a third consecutive series defeat against the Indians.

Scores
IND 1st Inns 305 (Azharuddin 110, Amarnath 100; Congdon 4-1)
NZL 1st Inns 120 (Prabhakar 5-40, Kapil Dev 4-52)
IND 2nd Inns 214-5 dec. (Gavaskar 106 *, Pataudi 60)
NZL 2nd Inns 205-7 (Donnelly 83*, Crowe 64)

MATCH DRAWN


Man of the Match: M Azharuddin