The irony was hard to miss at the sudden change of fortunes as New Zealand,after dominating the second Test,found themselves at a distinct disadvantage. The draw means they go to Wellington not just with a 1-0 deficit but also the extra baggage of aching limbs and mental fatigue. After being on the field for roughly 16 hours,they will get about 72 hours to recharge their batteries. Watching the Indians enjoying a fast-paced football game after the match on the same turf on which the New Zealand players were sprawled on the ground,stretching their tired bodies,brought the contrasting physical conditions of the two teams. While the Indian bowlers after being in the hut for the last three days will be eager to shake off their laziness in the days leading up to the third Test,the Kiwis will be finding ways to lighten the exhaustion of bowling 273 overs in the match. But New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori,while saying that the long hours on the field were enervating,hinted that he wouldnt take fatigue as an excuse for a below-par performance in Wellington. We have three days to rest. The bowling loads were spread out as much as possible but three days standing on the field does take a toll on some bodies. If we have to bowl first in Wellington I expect the same intensity that the guys brought into this Test match, he said. He added that such exertion was expected by top international teams. We know that were nowhere near where we want to be as a Test-playing nation,but these are the days were going to have to put up with if we want to get better. Its just the nature of Test cricket. While there will be ways to deal with physical strain,the bigger challenge for the bowlers will be to overcome the trauma induced by Indias stonewalling in the second innings. The last two days have seen the Kiwi bowlers run in with lots of steam and the fielders diving around. With a whiff of victory in the air,they tried extra hard to level the series. But,at the end,New Zealand are back to square one.
