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Mon Dec 30 2002
Issue No: 144

New Zealand win second ODI by 35 runs at Napier

When Virender Sehwag hits a century, it is usually in a winning cause. But not at Napier, where India went down by a 35-run margin despite Sehwag's 108 off 119 balls. Striking nine fours and two sixes in his knock, Sehwag virtually held the innings together - an alien experience for him, in all probability! - as wickets tumbled around him. Forty-one runs short of the target, Sehwag fell as the seventh wicket with eight overs to go. India's tailenders, however, failed to even play out the remaining overs, and the tourists were bowled out for 219 in 43.4 overs. Not a situation that appeared likely when India, on the best batting track seen thus far in the tour, restricted the hosts to 254 for nine in their 50 overs, with Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan picking up three wickets apiece. As has been the story during the entire visit, however, the batting let India down yet again.

Hunger and intensity missing from Indian play - Wright

After India's 35-run loss in the second one-dayer, coach John Wright said that he was puzzled over what had caused the downturn in performance. The side had performed consistently over a nine-month period but that consistency was lacking at the moment and he has been trying to work out why.

The side today had been inaccurate in its ground fielding, which had cost it runs, and they did not get through their overs in the stipulated time, being penalised two overs in their reply to New Zealand's 254 for nine. The total had been achievable, said Wright, but there was a carelessness about their play.

Wright didn't think contractural issues surrounding the side's lead-up to the World Cup has been a factor in the performances. "Every match is important, so there should be no distractions. Several players are out of form," he said.

But in good conditions today, where the pitch was the same for both teams throughout the game, there were no excuses for India not having done better. "We've got a lot of work to do. We needed one more partnership," he said of the batting.

"We are playing against a well-organised side who are bowling straight and full, allowing us as little room as possible. We have to move our feet forward to the ball.

Wright said in some ways that if the side got through this tour and got their confidence by tour's end, it would be good for the World Cup. "We got a couple of reminders today," he said. "We have to raise the level of our play to levels we can achieve. We had everything in our favour here today," he said.

A remarkable feat by Tuffey

Daryl Tuffey must have achieved one of the more remarkable records in international cricket with the number of occasions in which he has taken a wicket in his first over whilst opening the bowling at either end. Tuffey performed the feat yet again at Napier against India in the second match of their seven-game one-day series, dismissing Sourav Ganguly for a duck. In all, Tuffey has completed the feat 14 times in 11 separate matches - six times in Test matches and eight times in one-day internationals. To boot, he has taken two wickets in his opening over once each in a Test and ODI. Ten of these occurrences have happened this year, and four against India this month alone.

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Son of the famous Lala, Surinder Amarnath was born on this day in 1948. Twenty-eight years later, Surinder would join his father in an elite group by hitting a century on Test debut - 124 in New Zealand in 1976. They remain the only father-son pair to hit a century on Test debut. Ironically, Lala's other son Mohinder was the more prolific scorer for India!

Practitioners of dark humour would argue that India's performance at Napier was actually an improvement; after all, they did cross 200! But their fourth consecutive international loss bodes badly for India, and they will really have to pick themselves up now. Whether they will remains to be seen - and that can be seen on CricInfo!

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Virender Sehwag
Century in vain
© Reuters

Who was Man of the Match in India's first ODI win over New Zealand in New Zealand?

Previous Question

At which New Zealand venue did Sachin Tendulkar open the one-day batting for the first time?

Answer:Auckland



"I wasn't aware of the record. The bowlers have got to nick them, and it was nice to get underway with a straightforward one at the start." Brendon McCullum, on his New Zealand record of five dismissals

"It's been a long time coming, but obviously with the World Cup coming it's good to get some of that form under my belt." Matthew Sinclair, on his knock at Napier



"During examinations in school, when confronted by a slightly tough question, I remember all of us screaming ‘out-of-syllabus’. I can almost hear the Indians saying the same now when faced with swing and seam in New Zealand." VW Sunder


Brendon McCullum's five dismissals equalled the New Zealand record, set earlier by Adam Parore against the West Indies in 1994/95.

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