India recorded their first series triumph on New Zealand soil in 41 years though rain denied them a deserving victory in the third Test at Wellington on April 7, 2009. Rain played spoilsport in India’s push for a 2-0 series win on the fifth day and the hosts escaped with a draw after they were down 281 for eight in the post-lunch session in chase of a near-impossible 617 for a win. The visitors will have to be content with a 1-0 victory in the three-match Test series after India won the first match in Hamilton by 10 wickets and drawing the atNapier.
Despite the draw in the third and final Test, India ended their long wait of 41 years to win a Test series in New Zealand after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi-led side defeated the Kiwis 3-1 in 1968.
India's second away series win against New Zealand in 41 years is their 13th overseas series win.
End of Long Wait
Forty-one years is a long time indeed and India’s win in the Test series has taken it a step closer to being the top team in the world.
Sure there will be some who will say that a 2-0 win was frittered away by a late declaration but they are the same who, when a batsman has got a century will dwell on a chance he gave in his 20s or if a bowler has captured five wickets will talk about how many no balls he bowled.
It will be unfair to single out individuals in a team effort but some were truly outstanding like Zaheer and Harbhajan with the ball and Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar with the bat.
Indian Test cricketers had earned the dubious reputation of being well nigh unbeatable at home but soft targets overseas. Under captainship of Sourav Ganguly, Team India began to redress this imbalance, winning series in Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, in their terms at the helm, furthered the endeavour. Dravid captained India to series wins in England and the West Indies, and to its first Test win in South Africa. Kumble was in charge of one of India’s most famous victories — at the Australian bastion of Perth. But even in this new era, India couldn’t conquer New Zealand in New Zealand. To be fair, it has toured only once in the last seven years; but the severity of embarrassment it suffered on damp, green pitches in 2002-03 unleashed the ghosts of the past. Before the just concluded tour, India hadn’t won a Test in New Zealand after January 1976. It is one of sport’s many fascinations that certain teams or individuals tend to struggle against certain others, and in New Zealand, contested in New Zealand, India appeared to find its bogey side.
The Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a refreshing approach to captaincy, and given a team of battle-hardened cricketers, including some of the finest batsmen in the world, he has helped India raise its level to heights rarely seen before.
Gambhir’s Outstanding Performance
India’s left-handed opening batsman Gautam Gambhir notched up his sixth Test century (167), his second successive one in the series. It was his highest-ever score in an overseas Test innings. It was also Gambhir’s third best score in Tests after 206 against Australia at Delhi in 2008-09 and 179 against England at Mohali in 2008-09 series.
Gambhir’s sixth century in 25 Tests bettered Sunil Gavaskar’s record in terms of number of runs in the first 25 Tests. Gambhir’s score of 167 in the Wellington Test helped him get to 2,271 (average of 54.07)—the most by an Indian, eclipsing Gavaskar’s tally of 2,256 (average of 52.47).
With this innings, Gambhir also became the third left-handed batsman after Roy Fredericks of West Indies and England’s David Gower to make 400 runs in a Test series against New Zealand.
At the end of his knock of 167, he had posted scores of 72, 30 not out, 16, 137, 23 and 167 in the series for 445 runs at an average of 89. He was named the Man of the Match and Man of the Series.
Gambhir has discovered for himself that he could bat for long hours and deny himself and yet have the whole squad applaud him for his efforts.
As any player will tell you it is the appreciation in the dressing room that means much more than from the others. That is why you see batsmen having reached a landmark first turn to the dressing room and show their bat and then maybe to the rest of the crowd.
Gambhir’s problem earlier in his career was a lack of patience and his ability to self-destruct. These were temperamental flaws and not shortcomings in skills. Being a thoughtful player he has worked that out now and by being patient and a lot calmer he has given himself a chance to become one of the most consistent openers in the game.
Highlights of India-New Zealand Series
* India have recorded ODI as well as Test series victories in the same tour for the first time against New Zealand in New Zealand.
* Harbhajan Singh is the leading wicket-taker in the three-match series -- 16 at an average of 21.37. He has also produced his best bowling figures (7/102) in Basin Reserve.
* James Franklin and Ross Taylor were associated in a partnership of 142 for the fifth wicket, which is New Zealand's best against India, beating the 140 between Craig McMillan and Adam Parore at Hamilton in January 1999.
* Rahul Dravid, with three catches in New Zealand's second innings, became the fourth Indian fielder after Ajit Wadekar, V Subramanya and Dilip Vengsarkar to accomplish the feat at Basin Reserve.
* Gautam Gambhir has got his first Man-of-the-Match award against New Zealand, which is his second in Tests. He had received his first award against England at Mohali for posting 179 and 97 in 2008.
* Ross Taylor's 107 off 165 balls is his second hundred against India -- his fourth overall. Taylor has now three centuries to his credit in New Zealand -- one each at Napier, Hamilton and Wellington.
* For the first time in his Test career, Taylor has recorded centuries in successive Tests. In the second Test at Napier, he had made 151 and became the third batsman to post two centuries in the 2008-09 series, joining Jesse Ryder and Gautam Gambhir.
* Taylor's run-aggregate of 322 (average 64.40) is exceeded only by Ryder (327) for New Zealand in the 2008-09 series. His performance in the just concluded series is his best in a Test series, bettering his tally of 310 (ave.51.66) in the 2007 series against England.
India Remain Third in ICC Rankings
India might have clinched a historic Test series triumph over New Zealand but the team did not gain from it in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship rankings, remaining static at the third spot in the latest list issued on April7, 2009.
If India could have forced a win, it would have given it a 2-0 series triumph and helped it retain its pre-series 118 ratings points, just one behind the second-placed Proteas, and 10 behind leaders Australia.
But a draw meant Dhoni's men had to be content with 117 points, two away from South Africa and 11 adrift of Australia. The eighth-placed Kiwis, in fact, ended up gaining a point for managing two draws.
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