India hold nerve to sweep series

Kohli, Dhoni anchor tense chase as hosts register five-wicket win over New Zealand

This Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni has always showed a penchant to go beyond the accepted ways in pursuit of victory. A clement Monday offered them one more chance to tear the sheets of history away, and they didn’t fritter it away.

At the M Chinnaswamy stadium, India had to hunt down a record 261 for a 2-0 series win after ending New Zealand’s second innings at 248, seventeen minutes into the fourth day’s first session.

No team has ever managed to score more than 207 to win a Test match at this venue, and India on the day had to chase 261, and they reached their destination under fading light after going through a passage of drama and twists; once again the steely nerves of Virat Kohli and skipper Dhoni forming the fiber of a five-wicket win, also helping them inflict a series whitewash on the visitors. 

Dhoni and Kohli came together when India were tottering at 166 for five, and the home side still needed a further 95 to wrest the Test and series. Make no mistake, it was as tough a task as you would have to accomplish anywhere in the world. It was a true Test match pitch offering good assistance to both pacers and spinners, and there were a few good ones in New Zealand’s ranks.

Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Jeetan Patel resembled relentless waves trying hit the shores on a stormy day after surviving the early fury of Virender Sehwag. The Kiwi bowlers allowed hardly any freebies as India lost five wickets while adding 89 runs after being 77 for no loss.

But they couldn’t find a way past the Kohli-Dhoni association. As is his habit, Kohli started on a slow pace letting Dhoni do the early running. But the Delhiite ended his passive stay with a gorgeous cover drive off Boult, and it was the 15th ball he faced.

From that point, Kohli mixed emphatic driving with solid defence to a nicety to ward off the New Zealand bowlers. But Kohli’s real intent was revealed once inky clouds began to gather in the sky, threatening another round of rain. Earlier, 58 minutes were lost to strong drizzle, forcing an early tea between 1.55 pm and 2.15 pm.

But Kohli for sure didn’t want to stretch things into the fifth day, and came out all guns blazing against Southee to hasten the end – a beautiful whip drive, that combined power and precision, to mid-wicket, a punch through extra cover and a fine straight drive, which also brought his fifty, underlining his ability to shift gears at will.

At the other end, Dhoni eased off once Kohli took charge of the proceedings, concentrating more on farming the strike. But Dhoni fetched the winning runs, a massive strike over mid-wicket off Patel, executed on one knee, sealed the issue in favour of India.

But we can’t forget the role Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir played in this victory, though the duo should be held guilty of not converting the excellent start they received. A strong beginning is mandatory to scale down a tricky target like 261, and the 77 added by the Delhi duo in just 11.5 overs helped India to cover substantial ground.

The openers have been going through a trough for nearly two years now, and they indicated a change of fortunes, wading into the Kiwi attack. But the onslaught didn’t last long as Sehwag’s rush of blood against Patel, ended in his furniture getting re-arranged.

Gambhir soon followed in the most familiar fashion, nudging Boult to Ross Taylor at second slip. Cheteswar Pujara and Sachin Tendulkar added 69 runs for third wicket, and just when it seemed India coasting to a comfortable win, Tendulkar lost his middle-stump trying to work Southee to on-side.

It was the third time the champion batsman was getting castled in as many innings in this series. In fact, each of the Kiwi pacers accounted for the Mumbaikar in this series; Boult at Hyderabad, Bracewell and Southee in Bangalore. Pujara and Raina didn’t last long as India slipped into a marshy place, but Dhoni and Kohli were too resolute as India ended the Test on a bright note.

Score Board

NEW ZEALAND (I Innings): 365 all out

INDIA (I Innings): 353 all out

NEW ZEALAND (II Innings, O/n: 232/9):

McCullum c Dhoni b Yadav    23
(31m, 21b, 3x4)
Guptill b Yadav    7
(22m, 16b, 1x4)
Williamson c Sehwag b Ashwin    13
(57m, 37b, 2x4)
Taylor lbw Ojha    35
(85m, 66b, 3x4)
Flynn c Sehwag b Ashwin    31
(81m, 65b, 6x4)
Franklin st Dhoni b Ashwin    41
(141m, 90b, 3x4)
Wyk lbw Ashwin    31
(72m, 48b, 3x4)
Bracewell lbw Ojha    22
(39m, 43b, 3x4)
Southee b Ashwin    2
(13m, 11b)
Patel c Dhoni b Zaheer    22
(31m, 27b, 3x4)
Boult (not out)    4
(29m, 16b)
Extras (B-4, LB-12, W-1)    17
Total (all out, 73.2 overs)    248
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Guptill), 2-31 (McCullum), 3-69 (Williamson), 4-111 (Taylor), 5-140 (Flynn), 6-195 (Wyk), 7-216 (Franklin), 8-222 (Southee), 9-222 (Bracewell).
Bowling: Zaheer 14.2-2-46-1, Yadav 15-0-68-2 (w-1), Ojha 21-6-49-2, Ashwin 22-1-69-5, Raina 1-1-0-0.

INDIA (II Innings):

Gambhir c Taylor b Boult    34
(81m, 58b, 7x4)
Sehwag b Patel    38
(57m, 33b, 7x4, 1x6)
Pujara c Flynn b Patel    48
(122m, 104b, 7x4)
Tendulkar b Southee    27
(78m, 34b, 5x4)
Kohli (not out)    51
(130m, 82b, 9x4)
Raina b Patel    0
(15m, 10b)
Dhoni (not out)    48
(94m, 60b, 3x4, 2x6)
Extras (B-4, LB-6, NB-1, W-5)    16
Total (for 5 wkts, 63.2 overs)    262
Fall of wickets: 1-77 (Sehwag), 2-83 (Gambhir), 3-152 (Tendulkar), 4-158 (Pujara), 5-166 (Raina).
Bowling: Trent Boult 16-4-64-1, Tim Southee 18-3-68-1 (w-5), Doug Bracewell 14-3-52-0, Jeetan Patel 15.2-3-68-3.