Hyderabad, Nov. 14: With Harbhajan Singh bludgeoning the Kiwi attack in the second Test against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Rahul Dravid felt the innings changed the game on its head.
“It was a fantastic knock. Even in the first Test at Motera, he did well and saved the match for us. His knock has given us the impetus from where we can accelerate and I feel we are slightly ahead in this game,” Dravid said, at the end of the day’s play on Sunday.
“When Bhajji came to bat, the Kiwis attacked him. But, he hit them for a few boundaries which automatically spread the field. Bhajji is by no means a bunny and can be a very dangerous. He was hitting it really sweetly,” the right-hander said, before adding in a lighter vein, “He is the new Gary Sobers.”
On the opposition’s attack on the third day, Dravid said, “They bowled very straight and did not give an inch. I think their ground fielding was exceptional as they did not give easy singles and tried to dry up the boundaries as well.”
On Kiwis opting to start the proceedings with Daniel Vettori, Dravid said, “Vettori is a top-class bowler. He is a very intelligent and is armed with a lot of variations. But as the day progressed, he appeared to be tiring and when Harbhajan came on to bat, he took full advantage of that.” On Sachin Tendulkar getting out cheaply, Dravid said, “When you come to bat in the morning, you want to start afresh. It is always nice to put a few runs on the board but unfortunately that did not happen and Sachin got out. Having said that, I thought it was a good ball as it spun and was well taken by Ross Taylor at slips.”
On the thoughts of India declaring on Monday, Dravid said, “I think there is a lot of time left in this match. Lot starts happening on the fourth day of a Test in India. Batting does get difficult as the game progresses. I hope Bhajji gets another hundred tomorrow.”
Cash rewards for Hyderabad stars
The Hyderabad Cricket Association has decided to present Test players VVS Laxman and Pragyan Ojha with cash awards of `5 lakh and `3 lakh respectively during the ongoing second Test between India and New Zealand, to celebrate a Test being played in Hyderabad after 22 years. B. Sandeep, who scored a century on his Ranji Trophy debut has also been awarded `1 lakh in cash, according to a press release.