Hyderabad, Nov. 16: With the Kiwis giving India a run for their money, skipper Daniel Vettori seemed happy with his side’s superb show.
“I am extremely pleased with my batsmen so far. In the first Test, Jesse Ryder and Kane Williamson played well for us. In this Test, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and McIntosh played exceptionally,” Vettori said at the end of the fifth day’s play on Tuesday.
Whilst Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not pleased with the wicket, Vettori was all praise for it. “The wicket did not deteriorate and was a good one for Tests. But, it was hard work for the bowlers.” However, Vettori pointed out that the partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth took the game away from the visitors. “If you look back, that partnership between Bhajji and Sreesanth had us on the back foot,” Vettori said.
On the way the series has panned out thus far, Vettori said, “We have come to win the series and have been in that position a lot of times.
“We are looking for ways to improve our overall game. I am happy to see a lot of our players stepping up and doing well, which is a good sign. The morale of the side has gone up.”
On what worked for the visitors on the final morning of the second Test, Vettori said, “McCullum batted beautifully. He was positive throughout and did not give an inch. McCullum kept the Indians on the field for a long time which meant that the game headed towards a draw.”
Going into the final Test at Nagpur, Vettori said, “I think we have a good chance of winning the series. I know India would be coming hard at us and we have to well-prepared for it.”