Cricket: India struggle to stay alive

By Richard Boock

HAMILTON - India have not quite been played out of the third cricket test, but only because of an innings of rare class from Rahul Dravid.

The 25-year-old right-hander succeeded yesterday where a couple of his more illustrious team-mates failed - in the area of mental application - and in the process retained for his side a remote chance of squaring the Bank of New Zealand series.

On his shoulders rests the responsibility of bringing India's overnight total of 196 for five through to something much closer to New Zealand's first innings 366 today, after which the tourists will still require a monumental effort in the field to win the match.

On a pitch which has good pace and offers encouragement to the seam bowlers, Dravid not only showed impeccable technique and sweet timing, but also an unflappable temperament as he anchored his team's innings with an unbeaten 93.

If he can score his third test century this morning, and India will need close to another from him before they are out of this mess, he will be the first of five players who have made it past 50 in this match to bring up the milestone.

"I thought Dravid's innings was the class act of the match so far," New Zealand coach Steve Rixon said at the end of play. "This isn't a pitch where anyone's been able to look completely comfortable - even the wee master [Sachin Tendulkar] - but I take my hat off to Dravid. He was outstanding."

The Indian No 3, who battled for 210 minutes, hit 16 fours and featured in a 109-run third-wicket partnership with Tendulkar, brought hard work and sensible strokeplay to the crease, but some of his partners may as well have turned up with deck-chairs and the latest copy of The Hindu.

The tourists lost Navjot Sidhu to a slash and Ajay Jadeja to an aerial drive when the total was 17, and though Tendulkar was brutish at times as he brought up his 50 off 75 balls, he loosened considerably just before his dismissal - a marginal leg-before decision.

By that stage the pair had taken the score through to 126, and Dravid continued to prosper through discipline and patience.

The problem for India, who are already one-down in this series, is that no other batsman could find the same adhesive qualities.

Saurav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin were both out to balls which they did not need to play, leaving Dravid and Nayan Mongia facing a testing session this morning, and India needing at least another 150 to stay in the match.

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad lamented the lack of application.

"I don't know why it is, we have spoken about it and Rahul showed what can be achieved. The batsmen who got out need to look at him."

New Zealand were also on the back foot early, losing two wickets in the first over after being inserted by India, but Roger Twose's comeback innings of 87, carved out in a tad over six hours, along with Craig McMillan's swashbuckling 92, saved the day.

The pair added 160 for the third wicket, a record against India, before Javagal Srinath ended New Zealand's resistance soon after lunch yesterday, finishing with his third five-wicket bag in test cricket.

Pictured: Daniel Vettori avoids a bouncer during his innings of 24 yesterday. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS