India’s Biggest Challenge of the Tour
- Ramnath Aroonachalam
Apr 02, 2009 03:15 PM

Indian team has to tackle successfully one of the most challenging weather and ground conditions in world cricket to end New Zealand tour on a high. The venue of the third and final test, Basin Reserve in Wellington is an open ground with spectator seating in grass banks. The ground has a few stands that are not so high which allows strong winds to blow across the stadium. Such conditions will favor fast and swing bowlers which can be of home team’s advantage.

Indian team

So far India has performed credibly but most of these performances came on placid tracks failing to test its batsmen. Therefore it will be interesting to see how the famed Indian batting handles the charged up New Zealand bowlers. Both teams will take pride from last test match however India will blame themselves for digging their own hole. On the other hand, New Zealand will be upbeat and fancy their chances of making the score line 1-1.

Neither team has good record at this venue. India has managed to win only one test losing four. New Zealand have won 14 and lost 16 of their 48 matches here. The average runs per wicket is as little as 23 which shows the venue is no batsman friendly. Fast bowlers are likely to top the headlines. For India Zaheer Khan has good memories of this ground taking a five wicket haul. A win or a draw here will give India their first series win in New Zealand in forty years.

Team News:

Some good news for New Zealand as Daniel Flynn who missed the second test due to injury has recovered and will retain his place in the eleven. Tim Southee who was dropped after demoralizing performance in ODIs is likely to take the place of Jeetan Patel.

Indians have their fingers crossed on the fitness of their captain Mahendra Dhoni. His absence was telling from the way Indians performed in the second test. Munaf Patel, after the aspiring performance in first test the steam was missing on the dead pitch in Napier. But the conditions in Basin Reserve might get the ever smiling L Balaji the nod.

India XI: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag (Stand-in-Captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt & Wk; if fit)/ Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel/ L Balaji.

New Zealand XI (likely): Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, James Franklin, Brendon McCullum (Wk), Daniel Vettori (Capt), Tim Southee, Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin.

Match Starts: April 3, 2009 Friday, 10.30 AM local time
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