Sun, Nov 07, 2010 page20

• Ryder, Kane frustrate India’s bowlers

  DEFIANT STAND: After the Black Caps had been reduced to 137-4, batsmen Jesse Ryder and Kane Williamson defied the hosts, with Ryder completing his third Test century

  • REUTERS, AHMEDABAD, INDIA
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  Jesse Ryder and debutant Kane Williamson defied India with a fifth-wicket partnership of 194 to take New Zealand past the follow-on mark on the third day of the first Test yesterday.

  At the close, New Zealand were 331 for five in their first innings, trailing the home side by 156.

  Ryder (103) and Williamson (87 not out) defied India’s bowlers after New Zealand had been reduced to 137 for four in reply to India’s first innings 487.

  

  New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder, center, plays a shot past teammate Kane Williamson, right, as India wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks on during the third day of the first Test at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, yesterday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Left-hander Ryder, who had Ross Taylor as a runner during the later part of his innings, brought up his third Test century, each of them against India, with a cover-driven boundary off Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

  However, two deliveries later Sreesanth got his revenge when he made the ball straighten after pitching and caught Ryder plumb leg before wicket.

  The burly Ryder had grown in confidence as his innings progressed after surviving a chance on 11 when Rahul Dravid dropped him at a wide slip position off Sreesanth.

  Williamson, 20, was particularly impressive with his footwork against India’s spinners, but he could consider himself lucky to survive a caught behind appeal on 56 against left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan.

  Television replays showed a healthy edge and deviation as the ball passed the bat, but debutant Test umpire Kumar Dharmasena was unmoved.

  India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni utilized all his resources, including throwing the ball to Sachin Tendulkar to bowl his leg-spinners, but failed to break the partnership.

  India’s only other wickets in the day came before lunch when the spinners dismissed Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor after their century stand for the third wicket.

  McCullum (65) and Taylor (56), the most accomplished of the New Zealand batsmen, stitched together a 104-run partnership, before the latter drove Harbhajan Singh straight to V.V.S. Laxman at short midwicket.

  McCullum had looked solid, using his feet well against the spinners during his 122-ball stay at the wicket, and he hit 11 boundaries in his knock.

  However, he dragged his feet out trying to defend a delivery from left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha that spun across his bat. Dhoni made no mistake behind the stumps.

  W AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND

  AFP, PERTH, AUSTRALIA

  England batsman Kevin Pietersen talked up the positives, despite his side appearing to receive a stark reality check ahead of the Ashes in their three-day match against struggling Western Australia at the WACA.

  After their bowlers had made a positive impression on the first day to keep Western Australia to 242-8 declared in the tour opener, England’s top order failed to impress yesterday.

  The tourists slumped to 117-7 before an unbeaten half-century from Chris Broad, who also took three wickets on the first day, enabled them to declare at 223-8 at tea on the second day.

  Then the hosts, who have been struggling in the domestic first-class competition, cruised to 109-1 at stumps, an overall lead of 128.

  The only bowler to taste success was Steve Finn, who trapped Liam Davis leg before wicket for 43 to end an opening stand of 77 with Wes Robinson (46 not out).

  Pietersen admitted the day had not gone as planned, but said the tourists were not overly concerned.

  “Today, there were a few hiccups, yet there were quite a few positives,” Pietersen said. “I don’t think we were pleased with the way we got out and what happened, but there are a lot of positives out of today. A couple of the batters did actually spend an hour out there or so, which will stand them in good stead and as we know, time in the middle is a lot better than time in the nets.”

  Pietersen said that yesterday’s troubles had not dented England’s confidence ahead of the Ashes.

  “We can take a lot from this game,” he said.

  England arrived in Australia with high hopes of not only defending the Ashes, but winning their first series in Australia since 1986-1987 and they elected to go into the match against Western Australia at full strength in a bid to build momentum for the upcoming Tests.

  However, their batsmen struggled against a Western Australia attack that lost one of its opening bowlers early in the day.

  It was left to Broad to add some much-needed respectability to the England score with 53 not out, adding 64 in quick time with Graeme Swann (37 not out) after they came together at 159-8.

  Of the English top order, only Pietersen, looking to put an indifferent 12 months with the bat behind him, put together an innings of consequence, making 58, including nine boundaries, but even his knock was streaky and included a life on 25.

  It did, however, take a brilliant catch to remove him, with captain Marcus North plucking a sensational one-hander from above his head at gully off the bowling of Michael Hogan.

  The rest of the English top order offered little resistance against a bowling attack that has been struggling in the domestic first-class competition, with openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook both falling cheaply to Steve Magoffin, who then limped off with a knee problem.

  Cook was bowled late on the first day for only 5 runs after the ball hit him on the body and deflected onto the stumps.

  Strauss fell in the second over yesterday, the left-hander edged a ball angled across him and he was caught behind for 14.

  When night-watchman James Anderson fell for 4, England were in early strife at 27-3.

  The tourists steadied briefly with a 61-run stand between Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, before the latter was caught behind for 24 from the spin of Michael Beer (3-108) just after lunch.

  Paul Collingwood (4) and Matt Prior (0) failed to get in as the tourists lost four wickets for just 29 runs to slump to 117-7.
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