New Zealand v India - Third Test

Eden Park, Auckland

New Zealand: GM Turner, BA Edgar, BE Congdon, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, JG Bracewell, 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: BA Edgar (NZL)
Umpires: AR Crafter (AUS) & D Sang Hue (WI)
Toss: New Zealand

New Zealand welcomed Richard Hadlee back to the side after his recent shoulder injury, and there was also a recall for John Bracewell and a debut for Bruce Edgar as the Kiwis looked to square the series at Eden Park. It was India that took an early stranglehold on proceedings however, reducing New Zealand to a pitiful 41-6, including a third ball duck for debutant Edgar, as Kapil Dev and Amar Singh found prodigious movement both in the air and off the pitch on a disastrous first morning for the hosts.

A pugnacious fifty from Hadlee rallied the lower order into something approaching a revival, but shortly after tea it was all over; New Zealand had been bowled out for 173, with Kapil Dev, Amar Singh and Prabhakar picking up three wickets apiece. Hadlee the bowler looked decidedly rusty as India's reply got off to a rocket start, but wickets fell regularly and by mid-morning on day two the tourists had slipped to 135-6 and New Zealand were still very much in the game. It was at this point that Kapil Dev strode to the crease, and his arrival signalled a game changing shift in momentum in favour of the Indians.

With Azharuddin as his partner, Kapil Dev set about dashing any hopes of a Kiwi comeback, and despite a lengthy spell of negative, leg stump bowling from Howarth, the runs flowed as India established a new national record partnership of 170 for the seventh wicket. Azharuddin continued this series' vogue for getting out in the nineties when he flashed Collinge to Donnelly in the gully for 98 shortly before tea, but Kapil Dev pressed on, adding a further 99 with Kirmani before finally edging behind off Hadlee for a career high 149. India were past 400 at this stage, and their final total of 430 gave them a lead of 257 when New Zealand began their second innings on the third morning.

On a pitch beginning to crumble New Zealand's prospects looked bleak, but Edgar dug in for a worthy fifty to make up for his first innings disappointment, and a score of 151-3 at tea on the third day gave Kiwi fans some hope. Edgar departed shortly after the interval though, Donnelly fell for 23 soon after, and had Pataudi clung on to a catch that would have sent Hadlee back for 2, it would have been all but over for New Zealand. As it was, Hadlee survived to rally the innings for the second time in the match, but with new ball in hand Kapil Dev removed both Hadlee and Reid with their scores in the forties, and from that point on it was just a matter of time.

With the aid of a morning shower and some loose Indian fielding, New Zealand's tail took the game past lunch on the fourth day, but a final total of 265 set India a target of just 9, which they duly achieved off just five balls for a comprehensive ten wicket victory and a 2-0 win in the series. Kapil Dev's 5-65 in the second innings made him just the fourth man, after Garry Sobers, Trevor Goddard and Tony Greig, to claim a five-for and a century in the same match, and India's recovery following their 3-0 home series defeat against England sends them up to fourth in the ATG rankings, their highest placing ever.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 173 (Hadlee 57)
IND 1st Inns 430 (Kapil Dev 149, Azharuddin 98, Kirmani 41; Collinge 4-88, Hadlee 4-101)
NZL 2nd Inns 265 (Edgar 58, Crowe 44, Hadlee 44, Reid 43; Kapil Dev 5-65)
IND 2nd Inns 9-0

INDIA WON BY 10 WICKETS


Man of the Match: Kapil Dev