I hate to watch one sided test matches especially if it is a decider. They are such waste of time. The current third test between NZ and India is one such match. This test was a must win game for NZ to level the series and to save from handing India its first series win in NZ after 41 years. The way the match is progressing, NZ doesn’t have any chances of drawing the match forget leveling the series. The only man responsible for the state at which the NZ team has landed in this match is their captain Daniel Vettori.
He won the toss and elected to field. Why did he do that? What was he thinking? The wicket was not a green top and as soon as India Captain MS Dhoni and his mates saw the wicket during their practice session before the start of the game, all they wanted to do was to bat first. MS Dhoni couldn't believe his luck to see a brown wicket and must have danced along with his players in the dressing room on Vettori’s expense when Vettori decided to field first after winning the toss.
In test cricket, if you bat first you get two chances. If you're dismissed cheaply, you still have the chance to put pressure on the opposition by bowling well and setting a defensive field. These two factors can lead to wickets falling.
Why did Vettori opt for an extra seamer when he had a world class spinner in Jeetan Patel? He didn’t have to go in for an additional seamer when he had Jesse Ryder at his disposal who has proved that he can bowl and take wickets.
A captain can’t afford to make such silly club level mistakes when his team is up against a hungry side like India with each one of its players out there to prove something and certainly not against a team with such strong batting line up especially when your back is against the wall.
The wicket proved a home away from home for the Indians. Batsmen and the tail enders piled on runs to set a decent first innings total. For Vettori, mistakes proved too costly, nothing went right in this test match with his batsmen failing miserably and his bowlers going for runs. Daniel Vettori is all set to enter into record books by becoming the first black caps captain to lose a test series against India after a little more than four decades. A record he wouldn’t have expected in his wildest dreams in such an illustrious career.
All one can say to Vettori now is Tough luck mate!
I donot agree.Vettori was right when he put india to bat. But for tail enders heroics India was in a pathetic state with 6 wkts gone for less than 160. jEeten patel is not a world class spinner.probably he could have been helpful. seamers of nz bowled badly and let Vettori down.
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