NAGPUR: Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar were building up India’s strong reply with unbeaten half-centuries in the series-deciding third and final Test against New Zealand on Sunday.
The veteran batsmen took the innings on following the dismissal of openers Gautam Gambhir (78) and Virender Sehwag (74) to bring India to 292-2 at stumps on the second day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
India were ahead by 99 runs with eight wickets in hand, having bundled out the visitors for 193 early in the morning session. Tendulkar survived some hostile bowling from New Zealand’s quicks to play some breathtaking shots on either side of the wicket.
He had so far hit seven boundaries in his 57-run knock off 126 balls. Dravid played in typically sedate fashion, making 69 with the help of eight fours during his four-hour innings.
He added 79 runs with Gambhir for the second wicket and another 100 for the next with Tendulkar, who brought up his first half-century of the series and 59th of his career to delight the home crowd.
The Indians got off to a flying start in their first innings, thanks to an entertaining knock by Sehwag. The opener clubbed Southee (1-41) for two successive fours and hoisted left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori over long-on for a huge six en route to his 26th Test half-century.
He hit Vettori (1-101) again for three fours in a row but ended up offering a tame return catch to the Kiwi captain early in the afternoon session.
