Cricket: Vettori wants an equal opportunity

NZ skipper Daniel Vettori wants a traditional Basin Reserve pitch for the third test. Photo / Getty Images

Give Dan Vettori a traditional Basin Reserve pitch for the deciding third test against India this week and he'll be a happy skipper.

The McLean Park strip for the second test, which was drawn yesterday, was outstanding for batting but gave the bowlers little encouragement.

A typical Basin deck will have something in it for the fast-medium bowlers on the opening day and, for those ready to work hard, will invariably offer encouragement throughout as well as a good batting strip.

"It gives both teams an opportunity for a result. If we came across the traditional Basin Reserve deck then I think we'd be happy with that," Vettori said. "We want something different from this [Napier] wicket."

He said most test pitches had some variable bounce late on and a bit of inconsistency through wear and tear. But not the McLean Park pitch which Vettori judged a "supremely great deck for batting on for long periods of time".

However Vettori's team have been heartened by their own display, after their 10-wicket loss in the first test at Hamilton.

"I'm pretty pleased. The amount of pressure we put on India was fantastic.

"I think everything I asked of the team before this test, about hanging in there longer with the bat, then putting a performance together with the ball, was consistent the whole way through.

"To bounce back and play like we did here is very pleasing. There wasn't much I was unhappy with."

Vettori had no regrets over his decision to enforce the follow on. New Zealand got just four wickets in 180 overs in the last two days and he retained hope even when New Zealand took the new ball half an hour before tea yesterday.

He is confident his players will bring the same purpose to their game when the third test starts on Friday, even though they have been in the field for the last three days.

"If we have to bowl on the first morning. I expect the same intensity that the guys brought to this match."

Stand-in Indian captain Virender Sehwag praised opener Gautam Gambhir's 10h 42m vigil for 137 in the second innings.

"He was the one who saved the game for us, so I think we can call him the second wall of the Indian team," he quipped, in reference to the nickname given senior batsman Rahul Dravid.