Indians make hay while sun shines

India batted out a rain-interrupted final day to ensure the three-day tour match against Central Districts ended in a tame draw in Napier on...

India batted out a rain-interrupted final day to ensure the three-day tour match against Central Districts ended in a tame draw in Napier on Sunday.

India, who started the day 86 runs in arrears after Central Districts declared their first innings at 295 for nine, reached 191 for three in their second innings at stumps with Sachin Tendulkar 52 not out and VVS Laxman on one.

The match served as a warm-up for India before the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington starting on Thursday.

	SCOREBOARD
Indians (1st Innings): 209 Central Districts (1st Innings): 295-9 decl Indians (2nd Innings): S Bangar c Hefford b Sulzberger 70; V Sehwag c Sigley b Schwass 61; R Dravid b Schwass 1; S Tendulkar not out 52; VVS Laxman not out 1. Extras (nb-6): 6. Total (for 3 wkts): 191 Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-99, 3-186 Bowling: Mason 11.4-4-21-0, Hamilton 11-0-71-0, Hefford 11-2-42-0, Schwass 14-4-28-2, Sulzberger 6-1-29-1.

Medium-pacer Andrew Schwass took the first wicket to fall when he removed opener Virender Sehwag for 61. Schwass also completed a miserable match for Rahul Dravid, who made a duck in the first innings, by bowling him for one.

Opener Sanjay Bangar completed his half-century before tea and in the first over after the break he hit off-spinner Glen Sulzberger for 18 runs.

But, from the first ball of Sulzberger’s next over, Bangar lofted a catch to long-on Brent Hefford and was out for 70.

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Ten minutes later, with Tendulkar having just reached his half-century, the heavens opened and play was called off 40 minutes before the scheduled close.

India coach John Wright said the batting wobbles of the opening day, when his side were bowled out for 209, were balanced by the showing of the batsmen on the last day when all bar Dravid batted well.

“I think it was good to show the boys that haven’t toured here before what typical New Zealand conditions were like,” said former Kiwi Test player Wright.

“We had a bad day on Friday and we’ve talked about it. I wouldn’t be too concerned.”

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Meanwhile, the dashing Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns will not be available for New Zealand’s two-Test series . Cairns will undergo a keyhole surgery on his right knee on Tuesday to remove a piece of cartilage. Cairns will be able to resume training on Friday and is expected to be fully fit for the ODIs.

Zaheer expected to be fit for first Test

Zaheer Khan, who sustained an injury during India’s tour-opening game at Christchurch, is making encouraging progress and should be fit in time for the first Test. ‘‘The injury at worse could only be a bad bruise,’’ said physio Andrew Leipus. Zaheer too sounded positive. ‘‘Till recently, not much could have been done because of the swelling,’’ he said. Zaheer will be India’s first-choice pace bowler for the Test. His pace partners are expected to be Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar.