When Gautam Gambhirs magnum opus ended just before tea on Monday,members of the Indian team in the dressing room wouldve lifted their cups with crossed fingers. With a maximum of 35 overs to go until stumps and safety,and the lead just 42 runs,the crisis in the second Test had eased considerably but hadnt quite evaporated. As New Zealand launched a fresh attack,taking the new ball just two deliveries after Gambhirs six-session stay at the crease had ended,the home bowlers had a fresh spring in their stride. For India,both batsmen in the middle VVS Laxman and Yuvaj Singh were fighting their own individual demons. While Yuvrajs flop show in the first innings had made him edgy,Laxmans problem was a little more specific and that problem was charging towards him with a brand new cherry in his hand. Though Laxman had scores of 30 and 76 in the two innings he had played till then in the series,there was a slight smudge on his pristine whites because of New Zealand paceman Chris Martin. The Indian batsman had been Martins victim in the first innings both in Hamilton and Napier,and the similarity of the two dismissals edging the away-going delivery would have preyed on the batsmans mind. He had faced 14 deliveries from Martin,scored seven runs and had been caught in the slips twice. Final attempt So it wasnt surprising that,as a last throw of the dice,New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori handed the last new ball of the second Test to Martin with Laxman on strike. The Indian had already faced 158 deliveries and was on 53,but so far in the series it hadnt quite mattered because Martin had figured him out the moment he had been given the new ball,even late in the innings. But in the second innings,Laxman batted handsomely,getting India a moral victory by forcing a draw and also making a personal point. The 15 deliveries he faced from Martin after Gambhirs departure proved that lessons had been learnt and the monkey was off his back. He carefully watched Martin during the first two overs,leaving balls that were moving away and diligently guiding those on the off-stump to the covers. Since bowlers are known to have elephantine memories when it comes to the modes of dismissal of batsmen,Martin bowled in the corridor to induce Laxman into repeating his mistake. But two typically VVS drives changed it all. The first raced past gully,and the second didnt give the cover fielder a chance to move. Then,as shoulders dropped,Laxman didnt stop punching the rivals,who were already on the ropes. Since the start of the series,Laxman had timed the ball perfectly,and it was only the combination of Martin and the new ball that had stopped him from reaching a big score. This time,he went on to compile his first century on New Zealand soil. Laxman is high on the popularity charts in these parts because of the success he has enjoyed against Australia,who are seen as backyard bullies. In Wellington,where the conditions are expected to favour the bowlers,the Martin-Laxman duel will have a new twist because the Indians degree of difficulty will increase,with the wind adding a few miles-an-hour to Martins deliveries.
