Ahmedabad, Nov. 6: One, a sobered-up ‘bad boy’ handed a final chance on the international circuit, and the other, a rookie taking his first steps in it. A combination of these two have given New Zealand an opportunity to do what Australia couldn’t manage a month back: Pull off a draw against India.
On a slow and dry Motera track not particularly helpful to either bowlers or batsmen, Jesse Ryder (103, 205b) and debutant Kane Williamson (batting 87, 226b) frustrated a full-strength India attack for close to five hours together, adding 194 runs for the fifth wicket.
The partnership — the second-highest ever for the Kiwis for this wicket — helped them end Day Three of their first Test here on Saturday at 331/5. They’re still under the cosh, especially after Williamson Ryder in the final over the day, 156 runs short of India’s imposing first innings’ 487. But they’re in a much better position than before lunch, when they were struggling at 137/4, in danger of being asked to bat again.
With two days to go, and up to 25 wickets to be taken before a definite result can be achieved, it will be a big ask for even the No. 1-ranked side to force a win here. Ryder was playing his first Test after more than a year, partly due to fitness issues, but mostly because the selectors had axed him for putting his hand through a glass window during a drunken brawl last year. Now back in the side after begging for one last chance, the portly middle-order batsman showed the willingness to fight on the pitch. His century — the third of his career — have all come against India.
Earlier, resuming on 69/2, overnight batsman Brendon McCullum (65) and Ross Taylor (56) looked to have made the first session their own, with a 104-run stand. However, Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh removed the duo in the space of six balls and threatened for more. India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni bowled the spinners in tandem with attacking fields, and for an hour either side of lunch, runs came in a trickle.
Both Ryder and Williamson struggled with their footwork initially, but survived. On 11, Ryder chased a wide Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (1/70) delivery to wide first slip, only for Rahul Dravid to drop it, while Williamson was handed a life on 56 when umpire Kumar Dharmasena refused to give an lbw decision off Sreesanth again, despite it being a clear-cut call.
However, once the Indian bowlers tired mid-way into the day’s play and Dhoni shifted to the part-timers, the duo began capitalising. Ryder collected a couple of boundaries through the covers off Raina and Sachin Tendulkar before tea.
Scoreboard
India (1st innings) 487
New Zealand
T. McIntosh c Dhoni b Zaheer 0, B. McCullum st Dhoni b Ojha 65, B.J. Watling b Ojha 6, R. Taylor c Laxman b Harbhajan 56, J. Ryder lbw b Sreesanth 103, K. Williamson batting 87
Extras (b1, lb9, nb4) 14
Total (in 117.3 overs)
331/5
FoW: 1-8, 2-27, 3-131, 4-137, 5-331
Bowling: Zaheer 19-6-38-1, Sreesanth 17.3-1-70-1 (nb4), Ojha 38-8-80-2, Harbhajan 34-7-90-1, Sehwag 1-0-7-0, Raina 6-0-20-0, Tendulkar 2-0-16-0.