Cricket: Franklin ready for 'Oram' role

James Franklin. Photo / Brett Phibbs

James Franklin approaches the extension of his role as Jacob Oram's stand-in with renewed vigour, having moved on from an unremarkable return to international cricket against the West Indies earlier this summer.

Franklin has again been designated as New Zealand's allrounder for the three-match series against India - a task he completed with scant satisfaction when the West Indies toured here in December.

The 28-year-old barely featured in the two-match stalemate, perhaps not surprisingly as he was making his return from extensive knee surgery.

Franklin contributed nine runs in three innings batting at the specialist role of seven and three wickets at 59.66 - the major concern given there was a patent lack of venom or shape in his left arm swing bowling.

Three months on, he contemplates his second test assignment with a greater degree of confidence.

"I've had a lot more cricket through my body now," he said, comparing his physical state now to late last year.

"I think body-wise it's a lot more hardened being at the back end of the season."

He also felt he was bowling with more zip and penetration - even if his first-class figures remain unflattering.

While he averages 69 with the bat in the State Championship, he has only 14 wickets at 45.

"I think the pace is getting better," he said. "Playing domestic cricket there's no speed gun radars, you can't really judge it but talking to (Wellington keeper) Chris Nevin over the last couple of days, he's been pretty happy about the way the ball has been coming through on what has been a pretty flat pitch at McLean Park."

Franklin joined the test squad on Sunday from Napier after playing the latest round of the championship against Central Districts - a match in which he produced 76 and an unbeaten 107.

Picked as an injured Oram's replacement against the West Indies after amassing 448 domestic runs for Wellington in the early rounds of the four-day competition, Franklin's run flow has remained constant through the summer.

He scored 306 in the State Shield at 51.00 and had success against England A.

Franklin, who has been in a good batting space since his career-best 219 against Auckland in November, could offer little explanation.

"My focus on batting this season hasn't changed. I've just been able to get myself in and the runs have been coming," he said.

India's ability to produce runs at a rapid clip has not gone unnoticed either since their arrival here, as Franklin prepares for his first experience bowling to the quality of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Spared his fellow bowler's floggings in the one-day series, Franklin also carries no lingering psychological damage into the tests.

Although he made his test and ODI debuts in 2001, he has never encountered India during a 23-test and 65-ODI career often beset by injury.

"I don't have a history against them and they don't have a history against me so things start from afresh," he said.

Franklin maintained only a watching brief on an ODI series dominated by the Indian strokemakers, though what he saw was representative.

"It's hard not to notice what they've been up to in the last couple of weeks, that's a powerful batting line-up."

However, Franklin was encouraged by India's capitulation in the dead rubber at Eden Park on Saturday night, although they will be bolstered by Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.

"We've seen if we can get a little bit of pace and bounce in the wicket maybe we can expose the Indian batsmen when the ball is jumping around a bit," he said.

"If it's low and slow and fairly docile we know the Indians are well and truly used to that from back home."

Both sides surveyed a wicket with a distinctive green tinge yesterday, though it was still to be shorn one last time.

- NZPA