Cricket: Ganguly throws down gauntlet

India's cricketers broke their shackles to set New Zealand a challenging target in the third one-day cricket international at Gwalior last night.

As the Herald went to print, New Zealand were 75 without loss in the second innings, still needing another 187 off 36 overs to eclipse India's 261 for five and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

At the end of the 14th over, Nathan Astle was unbeaten on 42 (off 45 balls) and Spearman on 28 (off 41).

India were bogged down at the start of their innings by some searching seam bowling from the tourists, who appeared to have bounced back strongly after the "Hiding at Hyderabad" earlier in the week.

However, it turned out to be an innings of two halves as India roared back into contention with some more scintillating batting.

Restricted to 82 for two in the first 25 overs, including the loss of their master batsman Sachin Tendulkar for just one run off 23 balls, India smashed 179 off the next 25, Sourav Ganguly leading the way with an unbeaten 153.

Ganguly's ninth ODI century arrived off 127 balls, but he required only another 22 to bring up his 150 as India made the most of another bewildering tactical display from New Zealand.

New Zealand's best bowler on the night was rookie Alex Tait, but he was called on to bowl just seven overs, while Chris Harris (34 off seven) was also underbowled and Daniel Vettori wasn't bowled at all.

The only logical explanation is that Vettori - the only bowler to leave Hyderabad with his reputation intact - was injured (yet he threw himself about athletically in the field), but it could be that skipper Stephen Fleming decided to delay his introduction until the left-handed Ganguly had departed.

The only problem here was that Ganguly batted for the full 50 overs, masterminding India's recovery so dramatically that the hosts were able to blast 64 runs off the last four overs, with Robin Singh chiming in with 45 off 34 balls.

Ganguly and Singh added 119 in an unbeaten sixth wicket stand, taking full toll on Chris Cairns and Chris Drum as Fleming persevered with his quicker bowlers, despite signs that the batsmen were finding the slower pace more difficult to get away.

Tait bowled a tantalising line and length and was rewarded with the prize wicket of Rahul Dravid in the 19th over when the right-hander became frustrated and mistimed a loft to Mathew Horne at mid-off.