Cricket: McIntosh ton leads the way

Tim McIntosh almost batted through day one before falling late on the opening day. Photo / Getty Images

It should surprise no one that New Zealand cricketer Tim McIntosh has missed the odd team bus.

He keeps time differently to many of his colleagues and is happy to operate at his own pace.

And it was that very same quality which McIntosh used to graft his way to a fine century on the opening day of the second test against India here today.

The tall Auckland left-handed opening batsman sweated it out for 376 minutes to score an invaluable 102 as the tourists reached 258 for four by stumps after skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and asked his batsmen to grind out the runs at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

He shared a stand of 147 for the second wicket with Martin Guptill, who was easy on the eye in helping himself to 85, before McIntosh succumbed to fatigue and the second new ball in the penultimate over before the close.

McIntosh was under some pressure entering the match after bagging a pair in the drawn first test at Ahmedabad and he deserved all the plaudits by responding in the best possible manner.

"It was very pleasing. I would definitely have taken that at the start of the day. I'm really happy with that," McIntosh said after a pugnacious innings of character during which he hit 10 fours and one six.

He used his feet well to the spinners and wasn't afraid to hit over the top, worked the ball off his pads for singles and unleashed the odd square drive against the fast bowlers.

"From where I was in the last game, that's exactly what I wanted to do," he said of his second test century.

On a good batting surface the New Zealanders still have a mountain of work in front of them tomorrow when Jesse Ryder resumes on 22 alongside wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, who has yet to get off the mark.

With Kane Williamson and Vettori to come, they must target a minimum of 450 to apply any sort of pressure on the start studded Indian batting line up.

But at least McIntosh did more than his share after his opening partner Brendon McCullum was nicked out early and vice-captain Ross Taylor played a poor shot to depart for 24 after waiting 51 deliveries for his only boundary.

The backbone of the first day's effort was the partnership between McIntosh and Guptill, which lasted 203 minutes before the latter played back and was trapped leg before wicket to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.

Guptill scored freely all around the wicket after an early reprieve when he was caught off a Shantakumaran Sreesanth no ball when he was on five.

His ability to keep the runs ticking over eased the pressure on McIntosh, who could concentrate on what he does best - wearing down the bowlers over after over.

"It was good to bat with Martin Guptill today and he batted really well," McIntosh said.

"He was very positive and we complemented one another pretty well.

"We created some momentum by generating a lot of ones which I think takes the pressure off both of you. We didn't have to look for it, they presented themselves."

The run rate never got above three an over as the Indian bowlers maintained a tight line on a pitch offering some bounce.

McIntosh had some words of encouragement for the New Zealand seam attack charged with reining in the Indian strokemakers later in the test.

"It is a good batting wicket but it was getting slightly lower as the day went on.

"I think if the seam bowlers put something in that they will get something out of it."

Zaheer was the pick of the Indian attack, picking up Taylor and McIntosh, the opener understandably tired from his exertions as a big inside edge cannoned into his left stump.

Zaheer had figures of two for 41 off 18 overs while Ojha was tidy without threatening on the first day pitch in taking one for 60 off 23 overs.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand
First innings
T McIntosh b Khan 102
B McCullum c Dhoni b Sreesanth 4
M Guptill lbw b Ojha 85
R Taylor c Dhoni b Khan 24
J Ryder not out 22
G Hopkins not out 0
Extras (15lb, 1b, 4nb, 1w) 21
Total (for 4 wkts, 90 overs) 258

Fall: 4 (McCullum), 151 (Guptill), 206 (Taylor), 253 (McIntosh).

Bowling: Z Khan 18-7-41-2, S Sreesanth 15-1-60-1 (4nb, 1w), H Singh 27-6-66-0, P Ojha 23-4-60-1, S Raina 7-2-15-0.

- NZPA