The paceman cometh

Zaheer Khan has developed a totally unique way (among bowlers) of celebrating his wickets. He holds his arms aloft in the Rocky Pose and slowly does a full 360 degree turn savoring the response of his teammates (see image #11), while they rush to mob him. On the second day of the Basin Reserve Test match, he got to hold the pose 5 times. While he got lucky on a couple of wickets, he thoroughly deserved the 5-for as they were numerous other balls in the spell that deserved wickets and did not get them.

Enough people have written about his removal from the Indian team, his subsequent rejuvenation after putting in the hard work at Worcestershire (where he saw a 40plus Graeme Hick, with no prospects of an international future, train harder than anyone else everyday) and his triumphant return. John Buchanan may be yelling from the roof-tops about his multi-captain approach but the Indian team has already practiced it - most visibly during the 2003 World Cup when there was a batting, bowling, and fielding captain. Thesedays, when the fast bowlers are operating, watch closely. MS Dhoni does not set the field, Zaheer Khan does. Dhoni is content to let ZAK take over, relying on the pacer's judgment and instinct, only taking over when the plan does not seem to be working and damage-control is required.

Yesterday, Harbhajan Singh also stepped up. Basin Reserve is noted for its strong cross-breeze and it takes a bowler of great heart to keep running into it over after over. Ewen Chatfield's role on the New Zealand team of the 80's was not just to keep one end quiet while Richard Hadlee ran amok at the other, it was also to keep running into the wind. Harbhajan bowled unchanged for 23 overs, even picking up 3 wickets in the process, albeit one (of Ross Tayor) that wasn't. (While on that, how Ross Taylor not display even a split second of anger or disappointment at that terrible decision from Daryl Harper is beyond me).

At the end of the day, India are effectively 233 for 1. The only way New Zealand can win this Test match is to throw caution to the winds and attack. Try to get India all out under 250 and then chase down whatever target is put up in the manner of an ODI. They will not be able to play the waiting game and bat out more than a day. This Indian team has too many weapons, starting with the tactical nous of the captain, to let them play the survival game.

Now, dear Kiwi, do you see why New Zealand did not prepare bowler-friendly pitches for this series? It was the New Zealand team that they were afraid of, not the Indian one.