Rahul Dravid lives in the present moment at the crease but can bat through overs, spells and sessions to construct monuments. His focus and refined strokeplay were on view at the VCA Stadium here on Monday. The elegant right-hander's 191 was the hub as India declared at 566 for eight on the third day of the final Test, gaining a mammoth lead of 373.
New Zealand lost opener Tim McIntosh during the 11 tense overs of batting when the ball spun and the close-in catchers circled the batsmen. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, switching to round the wicket, got one to straighten at the left-handed McIntosh who erred in playing back to a quicker delivery.
Ojha unlucky
And left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was unlucky not to win a leg-before shout against night-watchman Gareth Hopkins; the delivery came in with the arm. New Zealand was 24 for one at stumps with key man Brendon McCullum on a rather chancy 15. The Kiwis have a mountain to climb.
In a collapse of sorts, the host slumped to 328 for five in the morning before Dravid and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (98) batted New Zealand out of the Test with a 193-run partnership. The 37-year-old Dravid's 31st Test hundred and his second of the series – he made 104 in Ahmedabad – was underlined by exemplary technical attributes.
Dravid's back-lift travels from around the third slip but the bat comes down a lot straighter if the ball is on a good length or pitched up. If the length is short, he transfers weight on to his back leg, halts the bat's down swing and his elevated blade is already in a good position for the horizontal bat strokes – the cut or the pull.
Technically correct
The accomplished batsman picks the length in a jiffy and accordingly adjusts his back-lift. Dravid watches the hand carefully and follows a few old tricks. If the ball is released early in action, it is generally on a good or a fuller length. If it is delivered later, the ball is likely to be pitched shorter.
Dravid's innings was a blend of solid defence off either foot or pleasing strokeplay. Vettori was cut with panache. McKay was pulled with Dravid getting on top of the ball to keep in down. And Southee was whipped past the mid-wicket ropes. Dravid's driving, on either side, was marked by poise and balance.
He was fortunate, though, on 94 when he edged a cut off Vettori but Ross Taylor at slip was unable up to hold a difficult offering. His concentration unwavering, Dravid continued to pile up runs. He was, finally, held in the deep of occasional off-spinner Kane Williamson while attempting to accelerate the run-rate.
Dhoni on attack mode
Short of runs, Dhoni responded with some punishing strokeplay. He struck McKay for three successive boundaries, a typical whip through the on-side was followed by two on-the-rise lofted blows on the off. The skipper cut and slashed with dare.
Dhoni's bat-speed and strong wrists were evident when he thwacked McKay for a stunning straight six. This was power-play. Dhoni had the rub of the green on 42 when McIntosh, running with his back to the ball from mid-off, could not hold on to the testing skier; the Indian captain had miscued Vettori.
Dhoni continued to live dangerously but was pegged back by Vettori's negative line from over the wicket, Southee's precise off-cutters – he was fortunate to survive a leg-before shout - and a bout of cramps. The Indian captain was eventually flummoxed by a Vettori delivery of drift and slight away spin to knock back a return catch.
Tendulkar misses out
Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar, on course for an epoch-making 50th Test century, fell to debutant McKay. The left-arm paceman's rising delivery - short of a length and angled across - extracted the fatal nick from Tendulkar (61). McKay did not quite straighten the ball at the right hander but operated with heart, speed and a fair measure of control from over and round the wicket.
Once again the Kiws fought hard. Chris Martin angled a full length ball into V.V.V. Laxman (12) who missed a flick to lose his leg stump. And the left-handed Raina, not too comfortable against the short-pitched stuff, from the pacemen eventually succumbed Vettori's extra bounce; he pushed forward to be picked up at short leg. Then, Dhoni joined Dravid and New Zealand chased leather.
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