Cricket: Fleming has odd line on bad loss in one-dayer

New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming, in the firing-line after under-utilising his slow bowlers in the third ODI against India, has put the 14-run loss more down to bad luck than bad management.

As the tourists prepare for tomorrow night's fourth ODI at New Delhi, Fleming was left rueing what he described as a game turned on its head by "a little bit of luck and three overs of magic" from the Indians - who now lead the five-match series 2-1.

Led by Sourav Ganguly's unbeaten 153, India managed to post an unlikely 261 for five batting first, including 114 runs off the last 10 overs, and 55 off the last three.

New Zealand's reply looked full of promise as Nathan Astle (97 off 111 balls) and Craig Spearman (32 off 62) put on 99 for the first wicket, but everything turned to custard soon after when four wickets fell for just 28 runs.

The chase eventually petered out at 247 for eight, which many believe would have been a winning effort had Fleming opted for more logical bowling options, not to mention more conventional field-settings during the second half of the Indian innings.

His experiment of bringing deep fine-leg up inside the circle when the quick bowlers were operating always seemed destined to embarrass, while his apparent lack of faith in his slow bowlers was glaringly exposed at both Hyderabad and Gwalior.

Ironically, after deciding not to bowl New Zealand's only spinner Daniel Vettori in the third ODI, Fleming afterwards paid tribute to India's slow bowlers, particularly off-spinner Nikhil Chopra and Anil Kumble, who took five of the eight Kiwi wickets to fall.

He said batting became harder as the afternoon wore on, and confirmed the slow bowlers were proving difficult to get away.

"We're still finding it hard to contend with the changing pace of their spinners," he said "and that played a big part in the middle of our innings...."

India have scored heavily at the end of their innings for the last two matches and Fleming surprised no one when he said New Zealand might have to review their bowling strategy.

"We talked a lot about the bowling unit after the last game and we'll look at it again. Traditionally we've been able to finish off okay and I think they've had a couple of days in the sun.

"Perhaps the lines are not quite right, perhaps it was just Ganguly's day, because some of the shots he played, like the tickles down the leg side, were not very high percentage ones, but he did it five or six times.

"They do have the ability to improvise, but I do think there's a bit of luck involved."

India (from): Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja, Vijay Bharadwaj, Robin Singh, MSK Prasad, Nikhil Chopra, Anil Kumble, Ajit Agarkar, Devang Ghandi, Sunil Joshi, T Kumaran, Debasis Mohanty.

New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Craig Spearman, Roger Twose, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Chris Harris, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori, Shyne O'Connor, Chris Drum, Alex Tait, Matt Horne, Gary Stead.

\EE The West Indies cricket selectors have recalled paceman Franklyn Rose but omitted veteran Curtly Ambrose because of fitness worries for the New Zealand tour.

West Indies squad: Brian Lara (capt), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jimmy Adams, Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Nehemiah Perry, Courtney Walsh, Pedro Collins, Mervyn Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Reon King, Franklyn Rose, Darren Ganga.