Cricket: Monster partnership keeps Black Caps alive

Ross Taylor (L) and Jesse Ryder amassed a partnership of 271 runs. Photo / Getty Images

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A record-breaking stand between the two batsmen on whom New Zealand's future hopes rest put the hosts in solid shape after the first day of the second test against India yesterday.

And there was a nice symmetry in play with Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder, two former New Zealand under-19 and Central Districts age group teammates, doing their stuff together in CD heartland.

They added 271 for the fourth wicket to pull New Zealand out of a large ditch at 23 for three and leave them 351 for four at stumps. Taylor hit 151, his third test hundred, and Ryder was unbeaten on 137, his second ton and in consecutive tests.

The pitch played like McLean Park Ave, paved with runs for batsmen willing to take the opportunity.

India might match them over the next couple of days but at least New Zealand have given themselves a platform to put some heat on the tourists, who are 1-0 up in the three-test rubber.

"I'm fairly happy with the day's work," Taylor said last night. "To get the team to where we are was a pretty good effort."

And he heaped praise on left-hander Ryder. "Jesse was a big help, geeing me on. I've got to give a lot of credit to him."

Without captain M.S. Dhoni, who was a late withdrawal with a back strain, India looked lackadaisical, sloppy in the field, with no vim in their movements. Recognising a batsman's delight, they spent much of the day waiting for something to happen.

In the first 45 minutes things did. To quote baseball's legendary man of cockeyed sayings Yogi Berra, it was "like deja vu all over again" as New Zealand repeated their first morning tumble in Hamilton.

Two fell to poor shots and Tim McIntosh was unluckily given caught behind. The mood was grim.

But Taylor and Ryder righted the innings and eventually took charge as they added a bracing 135 in the middle session.

The batsmen were a study in contrasts.

Taylor is not a batsman you would put your life on but he is a spectacular shotmaker.

He had several close calls before reaching 30, but from there he produced a stream of brilliant strokes, mostly through the offside.

He was dropped twice in the slips, on 4 and 92, and looked twitchy on 99, almost running Ryder out.

"You'd have thought it was my first 100 the way I was jumping around," Taylor admitted.

His runs came in flurries. He clumped five boundaries in 10 balls shortly after lunch; took 14 off Yuvraj Singh's only over, then 15 off Zaheer Khan in the over before tea, in which he reached his century off 151 balls.

Ryder was outstanding, batting over 5 hours. He paced himself, didn't panic and provided further evidence that, right now, he is New Zealand's most reliable batsman.

Since the first test against the West Indies in Dunedin in December, Ryder's scores have been 89, 57, 59 not out, 102, 21 and 137 not out so far.

Once Taylor departed, sweeping Harbhajan Singh high to deep backward square leg after facing 202 balls, the key was not losing further ground, and James Franklin ensured that wouldn't happen, albeit not without some hairy moments.

HIGHLIGHTS

* Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder's 271 partnership is the best by a New Zealand pair for the fourth wicket against all countries, surpassing Matt Horne and Nathan Astle's 243 against Zimbabwe at Eden Park in 1997-98.

* When they reached 232, they surpassed the mark of 231 for the highest partnership by New Zealand batsmen against India for any wicket, set by openers Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent at Mohali in 2003-04.

* At 161 they overtook the old fourth wicket mark against India, 160 by Roger Twose and Craig McMillan, at Hamilton in 1999.