New Zealand’s opening bowlers exploited the tailor-made seamer’s wicket and yet another spineless batting display by Indian team to leave the visitors reeling at 92 for eight at the end of the second day’s play of the second Test here today. Sachin Tendulkar and other big names in India’s batting were unable to cope with a spiteful green-top wicket on which the ball swung wildly to leave India, who were humbled in the first Test, staring at another possible defeat although more than one and half day’s play has been lost in this match due to rain. Portrait of a dismal day India (1st Innings): S Bangar c Oram b Tuffey 1; V Sehwag c Richardson b Bond 1; R Dravid c Hart b Tuffey 9; S Tendulkar c Styris b Tuffey 9; S Ganguly c Fleming b Tuffey 5; VVS Laxman b Bond 23; P Patel batting 8; Harbhajan Singh b Bond 20; Zaheer Khan b Oram 0; Extras (lb-12, nb-4) 16 Total (For 8 wkts, in 37.1 overs) 92 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-11, 3-26, 4-34, 5-40, 6-70, 7-91, 8-92. Bowling: Shane Bond 14-7-33-3, Daryl Tuffey 9-6-12-4, Jacob Oram 9.1-1-21-1, Scott Styris 2-0-10-0, Nathan Astle 3-2-4-0 Only VVS Laxman, who made 23, and Harbhajan Singh, who hit five boundaries in his breezy nine-ball 20, managed to get into the double figures as the Indians succumbed meekly. After the Indians had been put into bat, opening bowler Darryl Tuffey, who took four wickets for 12 runs, led the New Zealand onslaught against the much-touted visitors batting line-up which has now failed miserably in three successive innings in unfavourable conditions in this country. The New Zealanders captured eight wickets in only 37.1 overs after a late start to the match on the second day. After a complete washout on the opening day yesterday, the second day’s play was affected by overnight rains and wet ground conditions, preventing any play in the first two sessions. When play finally did begin in the afternoon, India lost opener Sanjay Bangar in the very second over, being caught in the gully by Jacob Oram while trying to force a shot against Tuffey on the onside. That was just the beginning of India’s nightmare as some of the most reputed batsmen returned to the pavilion one after another without making any impression. Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid became the victims of a combination of accurate bowling by the New Zealanders and the highly unpredictable behaviour of the pitch. Sehwag, who had failed in both the innings in the first Test like his partner Bangar, was rendered helpless against an awkwardly rising delivery by Shane Bond which the batsman only managed to scoop to Mark Richardson at forward short leg. An undercover move The Indian team is learnt to be very upset at the apparent preferential treatment to the home side by the groundsmen when they attempted to dry up the pitch in a bid to make it ‘‘suitable’’ for batting tomorrow. The Indians complained that the ground staff delayed putting on covers on the pitch for a good 40 minutes after the day’s play had ended. It upset the Indians to the extent that skipper Saurav Ganguly, coach John Wright walked to the middle and drew the attention of ground staff, before calling upon match referee Mike Proctor to intervene. Arrival of Proctor on to the centre did the trick and the track was covered. It, however, did not please the Indians or the match referee himself who was heard describing the incident as ‘‘shameful.’’ India lack motivation Admitting that the pitch and conditions were extremely difficult for batting, Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming said the Indian batsmen probably lacked the commitment to do well in the seamer friendly conditions in this country. “It seems a very difficult wicket to bat on with the ball seaming around. It is not going to be better for the batsmen throughout,” Fleming said. “Having said that, you got to show commitment on such a wicket. Its all about getting behind the ball and doing some real hard yards. You have got to work very hard,” he said. (PTI) Tendulkar and Dravid, who hit a half-century each in the Wellington Test, were also dismissed cheaply, both being claimed by Tuffey. Both were out for nine runs leaving India tottering at 40 for five in the 21st over. In between, skipper Saurav Ganguly got out in a familiar fashion, giving a regulation catch in the slips after remaining undecided whether to leave a Tuffey delivery or go for his shot. With their top five batsmen back in the pavilion, it seemed India will be bowled out within 81 runs, their lowest score against New Zealand registered in 1976 at Wellington. But Laxman and the diminutive Parthiv Patel showed some promise for a few overs, putting on 24 runs for the sixth wicket which was the highest partnership of the Indian innings. Laxman, who was out for nought in both innings in the first Test, played a couple of attractive shots and hit four boundaries in his 46-ball stay at the crease before playing a Shane Bond delivery on to his stumps. Harbhajan Singh hit bond for five boundaries in his brief innings before being clean bowled by the bowler off a beautiful yorker. Play was called off with five balls remaining in the day when Zaheer Khan was bowled by Oram for nought. Patel remained unbeaten on eight, having braved the conditions for 44 balls. The Indians left out Ajit Agarkar in this match and replaced him with Tinu Yohannan. New Zealand retained their team which had won the first Test by ten wickets. (PTI)
