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In a spin at Kanpur

The mysteries of the East never cease. At the curiously named Green Park Stadium at Kanpur, the pitch has all the characteristics of an obsolete mud pool. Its mosaics are marked by deep and multitudinous cracks, and it was revealing to see the commentator Boycott vandalising the pitch before the start of play with his "key test". He was able to crumble the crack edges easily, and before the first morning's play was over, the ball seemed to have exploded through the top.

By the third day, when India was to script a healthy lead, they were held to an extraordinary 42 runs for three wickets by lunch. Immediately after lunch the key man, Dravid, was taken behind. He had been so solid and so diligent in his two hours and a bit at the crease, but the return was a paltry 19 runs. And just when Vettori could not have asked for more, he got just that with Ganguly’s lame one-handed jab lobbing back to him. Earlier, Vettori, whose improved health was reflected in his bowling, had teased out Tendulkar in classical fashion. After that, the rest was just a matter of time, and the hosts had to settle for a lead of 74, many less than what they would have been setting their sights on.

And that was when the match decided to swing the other way once again. The triple Kumble blow inflicted at the end of play must leave the Black Caps gasping for breath just when they had acquitted themselves rather well. However, they can take heart from the fact that the bulk of the batting is still to come.

What they will rue was the first morning, when after winning the toss they did lose that vital advantage. The fact is that the Indians gained most of their wickets without the real help of a pitch that played much more benignly than its fearsome aspect. The Indian team received some resistance from the Kiwis as the first day advanced, after a disastrous morning that negated the value of the toss for the visitors.

The credit for this is again due principally to that prince of opening bowlers, Srinath. He took full account of the state of the pitch and reserved himself for deception rather than speed. He defeated Fleming with a cunning yorker that created a false stroke, and then Bell with an inswinger that was naively padded up. Srinath is a master at disguising his hand. He hides the ball cleverly and he obtains some movement in the most unlikely conditions.

His leading partner is of course that unique bowler Anil Kumble. He must be similar to what one would have expected of "Tiger" O'Reilly, the Australian medium/slow spinner who was feared on all surfaces. O'Reilly despised "loop", that additive of flight, for he maintained that a competent batsman was merely offered the opportunity to reach the ball on the full and hit it for four. Equally, he disdained excessive spin. He strove for 2-3 inches of turn, for he said that's all you need to take the edge of a bat less than five inches wide. He bowled at a pace like Kumble's, so you were always under threat if you played back because, like Kumble, the ball was on you in a hurry.

New Zealand fought back well on the opening day and in the first hour of the second. Parore played well, but it was Cairns and Nash who impressed with their mix of aggression and tempered defence. Cairns has learned to use his great strikepower with discretion. In a three-hour fifty, he hit five fours and three sixes, a proportion that shows how often he defended. He played forward positively and with reach and used his pads rarely. One Joshi delivery broke through the top of the pitch and caught his glove for a lucky two, but otherwise he looked secure until his rash attempt to pull Kumble.

The husbanding of his attack by Tendulkar showed how much he appreciated Srinath, for in spinner's conditions he geared the new ball to Srinath's condition. He then received a great boost from his opening batsmen with their superb partnership of 162. Gandhi was most impressive, showing splendid driving technique and a commendable aggression. His partner Ramesh started more quickly, then settled into a supportive role when he saw the form of Gandhi. Ramesh is an awkward batsman to dismiss, for he plays late and with skill to deflect the ball through gaps behind the wicket. He is just the type of opener New Zealand need, the John Wright type.

In the first innnings, New Zealand had more resilience than merely submitting to an early collapse. The rump of their batting is still there in the second, and it showed in Mohali how resilient it can be.

Again, this Test match, with so many subtleties and nuances, has shown how close these two teams really are. It is India with their hometown knowledge against New Zealand with its courage and obduracy. This is riveting.

Gameplan

Martin Crowe