Cricket: Final test hangs in balance

Iain O'Brien leaps into the air with delight as the dangerous combination of Virender Sehwag and his bat is removed from the pitch. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Live scores and scoreboard

Shortly after tea at the Basin Reserve yesterday, New Zealand could sense a content night's sleep ahead.

But by stumps, after a madcap last hour and a half, India had wrested back lost ground to leave the third and final test intriguingly balanced.

If you'd offered New Zealand nine Indian wickets at stumps, having taken a punt and sent the tourists in, they'd have grabbed it. What they will be ruing was India reaching 375 for nine, at least 60 runs too many in New Zealand's calculations, as the final session was dominated by some belligerent, fortuitous and occasionally hair-brained hitting.

India were in a hole at 204 for six just after tea, but the last period, elongated to 35 overs, produced a remarkable 185 runs as the tail whacked New Zealand's bowlers around the ears.

New Zealand, needing to win to square the series, have a straightforward job today: get the final Indian wicket quickly then bat for two days.

The pitch will be at its best but it helped the bowlers for much of the first day, provided they bowled with brains and attacked the batsmen in the right areas.

It was an exhilarating day's entertainment. India don't mess about at the crease, no matter the situation. There is something of the counter-puncher about several of their players, and they averaged more than four runs an over through the day, even as the wickets were slipping away.

Awful thoughts ran through the mind at the first drinks break, at which point Virender Sehwag had done a hatchet job on the recalled Tim Southee, who probably felt, as he must have done in the ODI in

Christchurch, like he was bowling in the highlights again.

The speed with which Sehwag goes about his business meant another couple of hours of him and the game might have been up for New Zealand well before stumps.

But New Zealand's bowlers persisted and there was a suspicion that the pitch offered more help as the day progressed, certainly in an entertaining middle two hours.

Or perhaps, to paraphrase the old line about practising paying off, New Zealand found that the better they bowled the more rewards they got.

New Zealand's dedication to the task paid off until late in the day. They had two wickets by lunch, another three in a riveting middle session and four in the hectic last period.

At times, New Zealand appeared to have India cornered, but they found an escape route by various means on a day when there were two important stands - 90 for the third wicket between Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, and 79 from captain MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for the seventh.

Tendulkar played the classiest innings of the day, dutiful on defence while punishing the loose balls. It came as a surprise when he got out, flirting at, and edging, the impressive Chris Martin on 62.

His was the first of three wickets to fall for 17 in 53 balls. Tim McIntosh took a sharp catch at second slip to remove VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh again left the impression he's a one-day player in white clothing right now, walking all round a ball from Jesse Ryder to be lbw.

When Dravid inexplicably pulled to mid wicket in the fifth over after tea, after grafting three hours over 35, one end was open for the bowlers to attack.

However Dhoni and the dangerous, if occasionally daft, Harbhajan kept India afloat. Neither looked thoroughly in control, but their streaky moments were interspersed with strong, clean hitting. It was an invaluable contribution for India and might yet come to be seen as a defining period in the test.

The game is well advanced. The fast-medium bowlers all had good moments. Now it's the New Zealand batsmen's turn to do their bit.