India face tour's toughest Test at Basin Reserve

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If one of the challenges of Test cricket is playing in various conditions, then any team aspiring to be the best team in the world should visit the Basin Reserve in the first week of April. More... New Zealand v India, 3rd Test, Wellington India face tour's toughest Test Sidharth Monga April 1, 2009 The Basin Reserve on a warm sunny day © Getty Images If one of the challenges of Test cricket is playing in various conditions, then any team aspiring to be the best team in the world should visit the Basin Reserve in the first week of April. Located beneath Mount Victoria and Mount Cook in windy Wellington, the Basin Reserve is totally uncovered. Most of the seating is in the grass banks, and the few stands that exist are not high at all. With winter approaching and the Southerlies blowing with gusto, the players will definitely feel the need to protect against the cold. Wellington in early April is New Zealand's equivalent of a dry and dusty Ahmedabad in October. Thank goodness some things like the weather can't be tailored, or else, going by the trend of homogenous pitches, the sameness would have completely taken over. To the disappointment of many, India have largely played in conditions similar to those at home so far on the tour. Admittedly, Christchurch was cold but the flat pitch at the AMI Stadium didn't test them much. India struggled on a nippy pitch in Auckland but the one-day series had already been won by then. In Hamilton and Napier, the Indians found even the weather to their liking - it was warm and sunny. And the less said about the pitch at McLean Park the better. The Indians arrived in Wellington with a 1-0 lead in the series and, when they reached the Basin Reserve two days before the Test, the skies were overcast, the temperature was about 10 degrees Celsuis, and winds were blowing around 30kmph. That's one-third of the speed of a Harbhajan Singh quicker one and about 23% of the normal pace of the fast bowlers. Thursday and Friday are expected to be sunnier, but the forecast for the weekend - the second and third days of the Test - is cloudy. The Indian team trained for three hours on Wednesday, but not many shed their jackets, gloves and beanies. VVS Laxman wore a thick jacket, while Virender Sehwag had a sleeveless sweater. One of the players said it was even colder than their last visit to New Zealand in 2002-03, while another said he had encountered similar conditions in England. Another member of the team said that the cold was manageable but the winds presented a challenge. That even the New Zealand players are finding it cold shows just how big a factor the conditions will be. "I think they [india] will find it a little bit cold," Brendon McCullum said. "If we find it cold here, no doubt they will be freezing. I am sure, from their point of view, they will be hoping that the wind dies down and the sun comes out but, from ours, it will be great to have them on the park when the conditions are like this. I am sure we are going to find the conditions a little bit more pleasurable than they are." Chris Martin said that New Zealand were used to the weather at the Basin Reserve, a ground on which they have "had some success in the past". "It's something a lot of touring teams dislike and quite a lot of people playing here domestically find it tough as well," Martin said. "But it's character building, and is definitely something the supporters will have to put up with as well. "I know most subcontinental sides that have come out here find it very difficult to keep their bodies warm and I think they might want their bowlers to get us out even quicker. But I suppose that's one of the things you have to put up with just as we put up with the heat in India and places like that." Gary Kirsten, India's coach, said his team was looking forward to the challenge posed by the conditions. "Little bit cold for the Indian guys, but we have adjusted pretty well," Kirsten said. "The guys are looking forward to it. There has been talk about the third Test within our camp. We have got a fair amount of rest watching the guys bat [in Napier]. So I think the bowlers are pretty keen to get out there." Kirsten also said it was too early to change any plans because of the windy conditions. "We will have to see when we get out there," he said. "Conditions look good certainly for the first few days. But it does effect things a little bit, but you can only make those decisions when on the field." When the sun is out, the Basin Reserve presents the spectators one of the best viewing experiences for a Test match. Without doubt it is the best cricket ground in New Zealand, and is protected by an Act of Parliament. It is fitting it should present a visiting team with the toughest test of the tour. Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

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Cricket: Chilled Indians warmed by Basin wicket India's cricketers were rugged up with their beanies on Wednesday, but a glimpse of the Basin Reserve wicket had them leaving with a warm afterglow More... Chilled Indians warmed by Basin wicket Published: 7:37PM Wednesday April 01, 2009 Source: NZPA India's cricketers were rugged up with their beanies on for the first time on tour on Wednesday, but a glimpse of the wicket block had them leaving the Basin Reserve with a warm afterglow. Any prospect of New Zealand pressurising the curator to produce a third test pitch to deliberately favour seam bowlers was ruled out after the Indians appraised Australian Brett Sipthorpe's work. Since arriving in New Zealand in February the Indians have been frequently reminded of the conditions they experienced, and could not counter, on their last tour here during the summer of 2002-03. New Zealand won the Test series 2-0; India's slide started at the Basin where they were crushed by 10 wickets as Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey exploited a green top. Those quicks are no longer on the test scene and the pitches that reduced the likes of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman to mere mortals are also a fading memory. Pitches in Hamilton and especially Napier promoted prolific run scoring and after his first scan of Friday's pitch, India's South African coach Gary Kirsten was impressed as his side tries to protect a 1-0 series lead. "We're very happy with it. What they've done all through the tour is produce good cricket wickets," he said of the Test venue's groundsmen. "We can see there's going to be good bounce in it." New Zealand, needing a win to prevent India's winning a series here for the first time since the pioneering side of 1967-1968, were not as impressed though the right overhead conditions could still offer the seamers some assistance. It should certainly be a more level playing field than McLean Park, where 1400 runs were scored in the drawn second Test for only 23 wickets. History suggests another stalemate is unlikely - there have been only two draws in 10 tests stretching back to March 2002. The last five have resulted in victories - New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Bangladesh but lost to Sri Lanka and England. After presiding over one of India's longest practice sessions of their visit in blustery conditions, Kirsten bristled at suggestions his side would be under instructions to safeguard their lead. "We don't play like that, we don't do any strategising about playing for a draw, we want to win every test match," he said. "We play flair cricket, we like to take the ball on and play aggressively. There's a risk element in that but we feel from a batting point of view the team is well balanced. "We have guys who can bat periods of time too." His batsmen displayed the required fortitude during their second innings at McLean Park as they converted a 314-run deficit into a 162 advantage when the second Test match was drawn on Monday. India are only likely to make one change to their line-up - captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems likely to return after pulling out of the Napier Test at late notice with a back injury. New Zealand are due to welcome back Daniel Flynn to the pivotal first drop position. He batted in the nets on Wednesday though his the left hand bruised by Ishant Sharma in the first Test must pass a final fitness test. Tim Southee is also in contention as a fresh seam bowling option and if he is included and New Zealand persist with two spinners, allrounder James Franklin may miss the cut with Kyle Mills. Southee trained with the squad for the first time since the one-day series. New Zealand vice-captain Brendon McCullum said Southee was his usual effervescent self despite figures of 0-105 in the third ODI in Christchurch on March 4 seeing him relegated to domestic duties. "I think it hurt him but he's learned some good lessons out if it. Timmy's great to have back in the environment. He's constantly joking and laughing." McCullum doubted the Indians would be as severe on the 20-year-old in the Test arena. "The fact they're 1-0 up, I wouldn't think they'd be trying to force it as much as the one-dayers, though if they do it may provide an opening for us," he said.

[fineleg]

10 celsius = 50 degrees F little chilly, but not too bad - when u play u'll warm up well... if windchill takes it down to 40F, then it is tough for Ind players

[cochise]

By the account above, the pitch sounds fairly benign...they say it will offer some bounce though, so there is something in it for Ishant especially. But we can't get a gauge on whether it will suit spin or not from the above article. Also, is it likely to wear as the match progresses? Our bowling selection will be interesting...will they play Patel or Mishra in his place? Kiwi's don't play spin well, so if the pitch looked even slightly favourable to spin at some stage, I would put Mishy in ahead of Patel.

[Sachinism]

Should be fun

[umpire]

Mishra should play for sure.

[cowboysfan]

^^nope-if anything Bahjji will keep it tight from one end.Mishra might go for some runs here.

[Ram]

The title is so ironical.. Right from the moment we landed in NZ, the press has been trying to build this up as some sort on an insurmountable challenge. Sure, we started badly in the T20s, but we hammered in the ODIs, nailed them in the first test and hardly broke a sweat in the second. Given all this, whats the big fuss about conditions and ‘toughest test’ et.al? NZ can leave so much grass on the wicket that you’d think it’s a paddy field, but we simply have the team to cope with those conditions.

[coffee_rules]

Didin't break a sweat in the second? ...We were one wicket away from a innings defeat/big loss. Even at Tea on D5 we could have lost the test. It was a GRAND ESCAPE that wad planned by Gambhir, Laxman Dravid and Tendulkar.

[Ram]

Didin't break a sweat in the second? ...We were one wicket away from a innings defeat/big loss. Even at Tea on D5 we could have lost the test. It was a GRAND ESCAPE that wad planned by Gambhir' date=' Laxman Dravid and Tendulkar.[/quote'] I meant to say ‘Didn’t break a sweat saving the test after following on…’. Yes we did follow-on, but never did we actually look like we were gonna lose.

[satishg]

Didin't break a sweat in the second? ...We were one wicket away from a innings defeat/big loss. Even at Tea on D5 we could have lost the test. It was a GRAND ESCAPE that wad planned by Gambhir' date=' Laxman Dravid and Tendulkar.[/quote'] we looked in total control in the 2nd innings to be honest..

[Macj]

Conditions conditions conditions! You dont see Australians or NZers or even the whingey Englishmen complaining about the sweltering heat of Chennai or Northern India do you, yet why do we make such a big deal about the cold, the wind the dampness etc?

[King]

Conditions conditions conditions! You dont see Australians or NZers or even the whingey Englishmen complaining about the sweltering heat of Chennai or Northern India do you, yet why do we make such a big deal about the cold, the wind the dampness etc?

That's because cricket is a summer sport and is played with sun on the back. Don't jump to conclusions, Wellington is cold at the moment and once the southerlies hit the ground it can be freezing. There is good weather predicted but the weather conditions will definitely challenge Indians. Most touring teams don't feel as comfortable in Wellington barring England as they play in similar weather conditions.

[fineleg]

India's least favourite venue S Rajesh April 1, 2009 VVS Laxman has been in fine form in this series, but he hasn't scored a run in his two previous innings at the Basin Reserve http://content.cricinfo.com/nzvind2009/content/current/story/397712.html After India's dogged fightback in Napier, they will go into the Wellington Test as favourites to wrap up the series, but if past stats are any indicator, New Zealand will fancy their chances of turning the tables on India despite spending three days in the field in the previous Test without a positive result. More than New Zealand's good record here, the home team will be encouraged by India's struggles at this venue. New Zealand have themselves lost about as often as they've won here, but India have lost the last four times they've turned up for a Test at the Basin Reserve. (They've only lost to New Zealand nine times in all, which means almost 50% of their defeats have come at a single venue.) Some of their heaviest defeats against New Zealand have come here too - their innings-and-33-run loss in 1976 is their only innings defeat against them, while they also lost by ten wickets the last time they played a Test at this ground. Their innings-by-innings list doesn't make impressive reading either, with seven scores of less than 225 in ten innings. Stats in Wellington Team and period Played Won Lost Drawn New Zealand - overall 48 14 16 18 New Zealand - since 2002 10 4 4 2 India - overall 5 1 4 0 If the trend from the previous New Zealand-India Tests at this venue continues, expect batsmen from both teams to struggle to get the runs. In five previous Tests, New Zealand's batsmen average 24.43 runs per wicket, which is four runs better than what the Indians have managed. There have been 13 fifty-plus scores from the home team, but Geoff Howarth was the only one to convert it into a century. The Indians have had three centurions here - Sachin Tedulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajit Wadekar - but they've also had many more low scores. New Zealand and Indian batting in Wellington Tests Team Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s New Zealand 5 1857 24.43 1/ 12 India 5 1834 20.15 3/ 4 Recent stats also suggest the conditions here are excellent for seam and swing: in the last ten Tests here, since 2002, fast bowlers average 26.47 runs per wicket. The average for the spinners - who have only taken 55 wickets during this period - is exactly ten runs more. Pace and spin in Wellington since 2002 Type Wickets Average Stike rate 5WI/ 10WM Pace 254 26.47 51.8 14/ 1 Spin 55 36.47 79.1 2/ 2 Among the New Zealand bowlers in the current squad, the fast men have all done well here: Kyle Mills has taken 15 wickets in four Tests; Chris Martin has 40 from nine, with four five-wicket hauls. The strike rates for the fast bowlers is excellent too: it's in the late 40s for Martin and James Franklin, while Mills, who has the best average but the poorest strike rate among the four, takes a wicket every six overs. The stats aren't as impressive for Daniel Vettori, though - in 16 Tests he has taken 44 wickets, and average of less than three wickets per match, with each costing him 38 runs. His only five-wicket haul here was against Sri Lanka in 2006 in a rare match dominated by spin - Muttiah Muralitharan took 10 for 118 to take his team to victory. New Zealand bowlers in Wellington Bowler Tests Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM Kyle Mills 4 15 23.93 53.4 0/ 0 Iain O'Brien 2 6 25.66 50.0 0/ 0 Chris Martin 9 40 26.45 47.5 4/ 0 James Franklin 4 17 28.00 49.7 1/ 0 Daniel Vettori 16 44 38.11 82.0 1/ 1 With the stats so heavily in favour of fast bowlers, it's hardly surprising that teams winning the toss have mostly put the opposition in to bat: in the last ten Tests, the captains have taken this route seven times, and five times they've gone on to win the match. The innings-wise average runs per wicket indicates, there isn't much difference in the first three innings, but in the fourth innings teams have done significantly better, suggesting again that bowling first have historically been a good option here. Innings-wise runs per wicket Wellington in Tests since 2002 1st innings 2nd innings 3rd innings 4th innings 28.87 28.64 24.13 43.19 The partnership stats too suggest that batting later in the innings is easier than tackling the new ball: average partnership for the first two wickets is less than 30, but it increases to 43.78 for the fourth wicket. Among the Indian batsmen in the current squad, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the only ones to have played more than one Test at the Basin Reserve. Tendulkar has done well here, with three 45-plus scores in four innings. Dravid, though, averages 27.75. Those who only played in 2002-03 have hardly scored any runs here, which isn't surprising since India totalled 161 and 121 in their two innings: Virender Sehwag scored 14 in two innings, while VVS Laxman failed to score a run in the match.

[fineleg]

Inn-by-Inn for India: http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/team/6.html?class=1;ground=116;template=results;type=team;view=innings Also stats clearly show fast bowlers have dominated at Basin Reserve, and spinners incl Vettori really struggle here... Should India take a cue, drop Bhajji and go with ZK, IS, MP and LB (four medium pacers)? We can keep attacking the NZ batsmen with pacers all the time? If we need spin for part time, then Viru + Yuvi

[dial_100]

I am not sure Finey.....Dropping Bhajji is not required. 3 seamers can take turn. Only question is can our medium pacers last first 40 overs and get maxium out of this wkt. Then Bhajji is good to get wkts from bottom 5. I feel VS can be useful bowler if Bhajji is dropped. But then our batting will be little weak. With ZK, IS, MP, LB. we wont have lower order batting at all. With Harbhajan, we can at least expect him to last 10-12 overs.

[King]

BTW today is looking great. Lot of sunshine, 0 wind and looks a great day to play cricket. It's expected to be like this the next 3 days.

[Mamu]

BTW today is looking great. Lot of sunshine' date=' 0 wind and looks a great day to play cricket. It's expected to be like this the next 3 days.[/quote'] King u live in Wellington ?

[King]

King u live in Wellington ?

Yup, that's correct.

[graphic23]

Will you be going to the match, Ravi ?