Cricket: Ganguly concerned by India's 'panicky' finish

By RICHARD BOOCK

Sourav Ganguly will happily accept his side's second win of the series, but could do without a repeat of the panicky finish so close to the World Cup campaign.

Down and out after losing the first six international matches of the tour, the Indian captain was able to savour back-to-back wins over the past week, although he concedes the execution at Auckland on Saturday night was not everything it could have been.

Chasing 200 to win the sixth ODI, India looked on target for an emphatic win at 182 for three in the 47th, but got home with just one ball, and one wicket, to spare.

Ganguly, relieved also to have posted his first double-figure score of the series, watched as his side almost wasted an invaluable century from Virender Sehwag before scraping home courtesy of No 11 Ashish Nehra.

"It should have been a comfortable victory. But that's the way it goes," he said. "We needed just three runs an over, so I did not think of giving instructions.

"We were cruising along at one stage, but lost wickets in the middle and then in the last over. I think we just left it too late. We have never been in such a situation before in this series."

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was annoyed that his side were unable to retain the momentum they had created at the start of the series, when the bowlers proved virtually unplayable and India's confidence was shot.

He was disappointed with New Zealand's effort in the field on Saturday night, not only in terms of the inconsistent bowling, but also the number of misfields and dropped chances.

As well as Sehwag played, he was dropped twice, once by the skipper and once by Chris Harris, leaving Fleming feeling unhappy about concentration levels and intensity.

"We're disappointed about what we did on the field," he said. "It's the one area in which we've always prided ourselves. We came back from the dead and I think that was the main positive - that we got to the last-over situation. We had the opportunity to beat them, but it slipped through our fingers."

Fleming wondered whether his bowlers were less effective now because the series was decided and there was less to play for.

The main concern for New Zealand as they eye tomorrow's final ODI in Hamilton is the state of fast bowler Shane Bond, who starred briefly with the bat on Saturday night before being struck down by a painful ear-infection.

Bond, who is in doubt for tomorrow's game, struck three sixes in a whirlwind 31 not out and later bowled six overs before leaving the field.