Barring a disaster of epic proportions, Stephen Fleming is set to return home a hero, having led his side unbeaten through a Test series. And that, as anyone in New Zealand will tell you, is more than what a certain Waugh, S.R. could achieve. The Kiwis look set to draw this match, if not win it, thanks to a pitch that has offered little and an Indian attack that could extract less. Through six sessions, the Indians have bowled 1083 deliveries; only five balls have claimed wickets. The tourists, meanwhile, were busy knocking off the records as a belligerent Scott Styris joined the list of century-makers in this Test. Facts and Figures (Day-2) • New Zealand recorded their highest ever total against India. Their previous best was 502 at Christchurch in 1967-68 while their previous highest in India was 462/9 at kolkata in 1964-65 • Mark Richardson and Scott Styris recorded their highest ever Test score. Richardson’s previous best of 143 against Bangladesh at Hamilton in 2001-02 while his previous best against India was 89 at Wellington in 2002-03. Styris’ previous best was 107 against West Indies at St George’s Grenada in 2001-02. • It is the first instance in 44 Tests where three batsmen scored centuries in an innings for New Zealand against India. • Richardson and Styris set a new second wicket record (151) in India beating the previous best of 130-run partnership for the second wicket between Bret Sutcliffe and John Guy at Delhi in 1955-56. The best second wicket partnership for New Zealand against India is held by Graham Dowling Bevan Conggdon who put on 155 runs at Dunedin in 1967-68. • Harbhajan Singh became the 10th Indian bowler in Tests to take 150 wickets when he had Nathan Astle, caught by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. (S.PERVEZ QAISER) So how was it that the bowling attack that tamed the mighty Australians less than three years ago allowed a nightwatchman to score a century today? Like Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid the stand-in captain can put all the blame on the pitch and let his bowlers go scot-free. That would be the easy explanation, that was the most apparent problem. But this wicket isn’t dead. Unhelpful, yes, but not the wooden plank of Motera. There are cracks, and there have been occasions when the ball has hit those cracks and jumped. Though slow, there has been turn. It was waiting to be exploited. That wait will have to continue till the third day because today, the Indians seemed unable to add variety to their bowling. Balaji did try in the morning, by bowling a couple of slower balls. The first missed the bat by inches but the next landed behind the stumps and just inside the crease. he’d do well to remember that variation is something perfected during training, not practiced during a Test match. Zaheer Khan seemed to have given up early on; he bowled, with unerring predictablity, in the slot — on a wicket with knee-high bounce, easy meat for the Kiwis. India v New Zealand Second Day, Second Test, PCA Stadium (Mohali) New Zealand resumed on their overnight score of 247 for 1, with Mark Richardson on 102 and Scott Styris on 7.
