India v New Zealand - Series Summary

India secured their first ever home series victory on the back of some heavy scoring from the top order and the consistent bowling of Bedi and Venkat. The fact that four of India's top five averaged over 50 showed what a tough time New Zealand's bowlers had; Gavaskar dominated the first half of the series, Azharuddin the second, whilst Hazare was consistent throughout. Had India shown more ambition once they went one up in the second Test then they might have won the series by a greater margin, but with Venkat and Bedi bowling with indefatigable accuracy - they sent down almost 600 overs between them for a combined return of 49 wickets - New Zealand's batsmen were always kept in check, at least until the final Test.

For New Zealand, their Achilles Heel was in the field, with 12 catches going down over the course of the series, half of which were fumbled from the gloves of Adam Parore, whose position in the team must now be in doubt. Congdon led the way again with the bat and Glenn Turner enjoyed a mid-series revival in form, but with Crowe missing two Tests with injury there was little other support. Hadlee manfully bore a huge workload with the ball, and only really received assistance once Boock regained fitness. Both Reid and Bracewell appear somewhat toothless at this level, and despite victory in the final Test, just the third in New Zealand's ATG history, there must still be doubts over Reid's tenure at the helm of a side that is still firmly rooted to the bottom of the ATG standings.

India - Batting
SM Gavaskar 645 runs @ 71.67, M Azharuddin 552 @ 69.00, VS Hazare 506 @ 56.22, PR Umrigar 402 @ 50.25, Kapil Dev 222 @ 37.00

India - Bowling
BS Bedi 26 wkts @ 26.08, S Venkataraghavan 23 @ 28.13, J Srinath 13 @ 32.38, Kapil Dev 13 @ 37.46, CG Borde 5 @ 49.80

New Zealand - Batting
BE Congdon 515 runs @ 57.22, MD Crowe 342 @ 57.00, GM Turner 357 @ 39.67, JG Bracewell 129 @ 32.25, MH Richardson 269 @ 29.89

New Zealand - Bowling
SL Boock 10 wkts @ 21.20, RJ Hadlee 26 @ 24.46, BE Congdon 5 @ 31.20, BR Taylor 16 @ 37.75, RC Motz 5 @ 57.20

INDIA WON THE SERIES 2-1

Players of the Series
SM Gavaskar & BE Congdon

India v New Zealand, Fifth Test

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

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

NZL: Turner, Richardson, Congdon, Crowe, *Reid, Burgess, +Parore, Hadlee, Taylor, Bracewell, Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: S Kishen & Satyaji Rao

With the series decided there was only pride to play for in Mumbai, and the Indian selectors maintained faith in the XI that sealed the deal in Kolkata; one of the keys to India's success has been the fact that they have used just 12 players over the course of the entire series. New Zealand welcomed back the fit-again Martin Crowe in place of Martin Donnelly, but his return would be on a Wankhede wicket that was expected to turn from the first delivery and place the spinners well and truly in the spotlight for the duration of the game.

New Zealand won the toss and batted, but they had been bundled out for 183 by the third over on the second morning as Bedi and Venkat shared eight wickets between them in the spin-friendly conditions. Crowe made a gritty 51 on comeback and Parore contributed an equally watchful 50 lower down the order to temporarily quieten the criticism that has come his way recently, but no-one else could get out of the 20s in the face of the hosts' spin attack.

India's reply stuttered badly though, and it was seam, not spin, that caused the problems. Hadlee and Taylor sent the top three back with just 13 runs on the board as the ball swung early on day two, and it took a counter-attacking 77 from Hazare to put the innings back on an even keel. Yet another dropped catch - this time by Richardson off the bowling of Taylor - had given Hazare a life on 5 though, and such profligacy in the field has been the Kiwis' undoing over the course of the tour. India's batting seemed to have lost its discipline, and by the time Hazare was caught down the leg side by Parore off Hadlee, the hosts had slumped to 135-7 and looked like conceding a third successive first innings lead. Kapil Dev chose this moment to deliver a typical counter-punch though, bludgeoning 62 off 79 balls as the tail wagged to some effect, and although Taylor eventually returned to complete his first ATG five wicket haul (and New Zealand's only five-for of the series), by this time India had eked out a potentially valuable 22 run lead.

New Zealand now needed to show some initiative in order to avoid being trapped in the spinner's web once more, and led by Bevan Congdon that is exactly what they did on a third day that belonged entirely to the tourists. After a sticky start to the innings, Congdon blasted a wonderfully gung-ho hundred off just 130 balls, hitting Bedi out the attack as he dominated a 154 run third wicket stand with Crowe that rattled up in less than two hours. The score reached 198-2 before three wickets - including Congdon's - fell for just three runs, but Crowe dug in, adding 52 with Parore before sweeping a catch off Bedi for 86, and a spirited last wicket stand of 46 between Bracewell (38) and Boock (10*) set India a daunting target of 293 to win on a pitch that was still less than trustworthy.

New Zealand's positive approach had put India under pressure - the hosts floored three catches in the innings after missing just two chances over the course of the entire series up to that point - and by lunch on day four they were firmly against the ropes, the top three all having fallen cheaply for the second time in the match. Boock and Bracewell were building the pressure, and by mid-afternoon India were 72-5 and staring defeat in the face. Azharuddin and Engineer then put together an 89 run partnership that threatened to wrest the initiative from the Kiwis, but once Congdon caught Azharuddin at short leg off Boock for 68 New Zealand seized control once more and were determined not to let go.

Hadlee and Taylor - who bowled superbly for his match return of 8-100 - returned to knock over the tail, and when Bedi flashed a catch to Richardson in the slip cordon in the day's final over, New Zealand had completed a deserved 94 run victory with an entire day to spare. It was just their third win in 30 ATG Tests, but India's first ever series victory at home was already sealed and there were handshakes all round come the end of play. It had been a long, at times arduous series, but both sides can take positives away with them, although whether either team has what it takes to get out of ATG cricket's basement is still to be seen.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 183 (Crowe 51, Parore 50; Venkat 4-50, Bedi 4-59)
IND 1st Inns 205 (Hazare 77, Kapil Dev 62; Taylor 5-53)
NZL 2nd Inns 314 (Congdon 105, Crowe 86)
IND 2nd Inns 198 (Azharuddin 68, Engineer 54)

NEW ZEALAND WON BY 94 RUNS


Man of the Match: BE Congdon

India v New Zealand, Fourth Test

Eden Gardens, Kolkata

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

NZL: Turner, Richardson, Congdon, *Reid, Donnelly, Burgess, +Parore, Hadlee, Taylor, Bracewell, Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: S Kishen & Satyaji Rao

The fourth Test in Kolkata saw India remain unchanged following the 'bore-draw' in Kanpur, whilst New Zealand welcomed back both John Bracewell and Stephen Boock in a bid to bolster their spin bowling department. Adam Parore also resumed his role behind the stumps for the Kiwis, Smith, Motz and Howarth the men missing out.

The tourists had to win this match to retain any chance of taking the series, and although Gavaskar won the toss and elected to bat, a slightly patchy looking strip and some decent cloud cover gave them hope of restricting the Indians. A roughly honours-even first day saw India reach the close on 238-4, and the fact that they could only extend this total to 328 before being bowled out certainly gave New Zealand hope.

India's innings was centred around Hazare's 94, and his 102 run partnership with Gavaskar for the third wicket was the pair's third century stand of the series. New Zealand bowled with commendable application though, and Hazare was the only man to pass 50 as the innings fell away on the second morning. Hadlee eventually trapped him lbw on the way to his third four-for of the series, one of five lbw decisions awarded in the innings, but injury to Taylor and two dropped catches from Parore blotted the Kiwis' copy book somewhat, as did an irritating last wicket stand of 32 between Srinath (35) and Bedi (4*).

Nonetheless, New Zealand were still in the match, and some valuable runs from their own tail gave them a vital first innings lead come stumps on day three. The ever-reliable Bevan Congdon led the way at the top of the order with a watchful 84, but it was not until the tourists lost their sixth wicket that the innings really got going. From a laboured total of 181-6 the last four wickets more than doubled the score, adding a further 190 runs before the innings finally closed on 371. Parore and Hadlee both recorded their first fifties of the series as they added a national record 98 for the seventh wicket, and a pair of attacking innings from Taylor (39) and Bracewell (40*) pushed New Zealand into a 43 run lead.

Bishen Bedi had bowled superbly throughout the Black Caps' innings though, claiming 6-118 from 46 overs of wonderfully controlled slow left-arm bowling, and with Engineer claiming four victims in a welcome return to form behind the timbers, India's deficit appeared manageable. However, the fit-again Bruce Taylor removed both openers on the fourth morning before the scores reached parity, and with John Reid inducing an edge behind from the in-form Umrigar, India were 46-3 and in distinct trouble. An obdurate 41 from Hazare led a recovery of sorts, but when Boock removed both him and Borde in quick succession, India were 166-5 and their lead of 123 left them looking vulnerable.

India's plight should have been even worse, but Parore had fumbled yet another chance earlier in proceedings, missing Azharuddin on 17 off the bowling of Bracewell, and this error was to prove extraordinarily costly for New Zealand. Azharuddin duly completed his 50, and in partnership with Engineer he then set about taking the game away from the Kiwis. 130 runs were added for the sixth wicket, each one of them a nail in the tourists' coffin, and Azharuddin's final score of 126 was an innings of immeasurably greater value than his undefeated 173 in Kanpur. It was batting of the highest order under immense pressure, and Engineer provided excellent support with his first fifty since his remarkable 300 against the Australians. A hard hit fifty from Kapil Dev on the fifth morning simply added insult to injury, and Gavaskar's lunchtime declaration left New Zealand with the unlikely target of 317 in a minimum of 59 overs.

The Black Caps tried to force the pace early on, but they threw away early wickets in the quest for quick runs, and on a wearing pitch it was soon evident that the final two sessions of play were going to be a battle for survival rather than for victory. Congdon gave Venkat a return catch off the leading edge for 29, and with the ball really starting to turn both Venkat and Bedi were able to bowl with any number of fielders surrounding the batsmen. Umpires Kishen and Rao were severely tested by a succession of appeals from India's spin twins, and by tea New Zealand were a precarious looking 96-5, with thoughts of victory a distant memory.

Richardson was the last recognised batsmen still at the crease, and once Venkat snared him for 33, Bedi ran through the tail to pick up his second five wicket haul of the match, with Gavaskar claiming three catches at slip. New Zealand had been dismissed for 121 with an hour's play remaining, and India's 195 run victory had handed them their first ever ATG series win at home. There were understandable scenes of jubilation all around Eden Gardens at this point, and both Bedi - who had become the first Indian bowler to reach 100 ATG wickets - and Azharuddin were feted as heroes for their part in the victory. In reality though it had been a match that New Zealand could - and should - have won, and as well as Bedi bowled and Azharuddin batted they really had only themselves to blame as yet another Test match slipped through their fingers.

Scores
IND 1st Inns 328 (Hazare 94, Gavaskar 49, Azharuddin 46; Hadlee 4-73)
NZL 1st Inns 371 (Congdon 84, Parore 62, Hadlee 57, Bracewell 40*; Bedi 6-118)
IND 2nd Inns 359-9 dec. (Azharuddin 126, Engineer 73, Kapil Dev 51, Hazare 41; Boock 4-83)
NZL 2nd Inns 121 (Bedi 5-33)

INDIA WON BY 195 RUNS

Man of the Match: BS Bedi

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

India v New Zealand, Second Test

Punjab C.A. Stadium, Chandigarh, Mohali

IND: *Gavaskar, Sidhu, Umrigar, Hazare, Azharuddin, Borde, +Engineer, Kapil Dev, Srinath, Venkataraghavan, Bedi.
NZL: Turner, Richardson, Congdon, MD Crowe, *Reid, Burgess, +Parore, Hadlee, Taylor, Motz, HJ Howarth.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: VK Ramaswamy & PD Reporter

New Zealand arrived in Mohali in buoyant mood after their great escape in the first Test, but they were struck a cruel blow before a ball was even bowled when both Stephen Boock (shoulder) and John Bracewell (side) were forced to withdraw, leaving Hedley Howarth as the lone spinner on a track that was expected to favour the slow men later in the game.

John Reid managed to win his second toss in succession, but on a flat, dry surface the Kiwis were bowled out within a day by an unchanged Indian attack, although on this occasion it was seam rather than spin that did the damage. The tourists were actually a commanding 172-2 midway through the afternoon session, but a devastating spell with the second new ball from Kapil Dev after tea caused the last six wickets to tumble for 34 runs with New Zealand only managing to total 279 after they had promised so much more. Congdon top-scored with 87 before Umrigar's direct hit from cover ran him out following a poor call from Reid, then Kapil Dev's best ever ATG figures of 5-53 simply scythed through the tail.

India now set about capitalising on an excellent first day's work, and just as in Ahmedabad it was Gavaskar and Hazare that piled on the misery for the Black caps. Gavaskar and Umrigar (who was dropped on 9 by Crowe) took India's reply past 100 after the early dismissal of Sidhu, then Hazare hooked up with his skipper to the tune of 191 runs, a partnership that, in fluency if not in sheer weight of scoring, more than matched their liaison in the first Test. Hazare was eventually out on 99, skying a catch to Reid off Hadlee just one run short of a deserved hundred, but Gavaskar went on to reach his second century in succession off just 167 balls, and became the first Indian to pass 3000 ATG runs as his innings swelled past 150, just as it always does when he reaches three figures (the lowest of Gavaskar's seven ATG hundreds is 156*).

Gavaskar eventually edged Taylor behind for 169, and from a score that read 296-2 when Hazare was dismissed, the innings fell away somewhat to 411 all out, with the impeccable Richard Hadlee returning the excellent figures of 4-72 from 33.4 overs. New Zealand began their second innings just after lunch on day three, and just as on the first day they got off to an excellent start. Their 132 run deficit was wiped out for the loss of only two wickets, Bevan Congdon adding a fluent 73 to go with his first innings 87 and passing 1000 runs in just his 13th ATG Test. Turner and a subdued Crowe took the Kiwis to stumps on day 3 at 174-2, with Turner going on to complete just his second ATG century (the other was also against India) early on the fourth morning.

At 246-2, New Zealand led by 112 and found themselves in an unexpectedly strong position, but just as on the first day the innings fell away again, to spin this time, and the tourists were all out for 342 by tea. Turner eventually made 125 in five and a half hours, and John Reid enlivened proceedings with a belligerent 57 which included a withering assault on Bedi, who departed for three sixes in the space of two memorable (not for Bedi!) overs. India thus needed 211 to win in four sessions, but when one considered the fact that they had never successfully chased more than 85 to win an ATG Test, the result was not a forgone conclusion.

Indeed, by the close on day four, India had been reduced to a nervy 54-3 with both Gavaskar and Hazare back in the pavilion, and when Hadlee claimed his third wicket by uprooting Azharuddin's off stump for 8 early on the final morning, the hosts were teetering at 74-4 and it was very much 'game on.' Umrigar and Borde were able to construct a vital partnership for the fifth wicket though, and with the total on 104, Umrigar was crucially dropped by Hadlee in Howarth's first over. Umrigar was on 43* at the time, and New Zealand paid dearly for Hadlee's mistake as India's number three stroked his way to what was to prove a man-of-the-match winning performance.

Umrigar and Borde added 96 precious runs before Hadlee made Borde victim number four, but by then it was too late for New Zealand. Umrigar had reached a wonderful hundred by the time the winning runs were hit, and to make matters worse for the tourists both Reid and Hadlee were already in the dressing room at this stage, nursing injuries picked up in the field that make them both doubtful starters in Kanpur. India had played some good cricket on the way to their victory, but New Zealand had paid the price for both their first day collapse and their lack of a quality spinning option on the final day (Howarth's match figures were 0-130 off 35 overs), and it will be an uphill struggle for them to get back into the series now.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 279 (Congdon 87, Reid 47, Crowe 46; Kapil Dev 5-53)
IND 1st Inns 411 (Gavaskar 169, Hazare 99, Umrigar 41; Hadlee 4-72)
NZL 2nd Inns 342 (Turner 125, Congdon 73, Reid 57, Crowe 41)
IND 2nd Inns 211-6 (Umrigar 106*, Borde 40; Hadlee 4-49)

INDIA WON BY 4 WICKETS

Man of the Match: PR Umrigar