Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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"New Zealand lost the one-day series, but that doesn't mean they are not a good side. They are a very competitive team, especially when it comes to exploiting the conditions out here. We expect tough cricket over the next 20-25 days," Dhoni said."We don't want individuals to change their game. That is the strength, because of which they are part of the Indian team
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Speaking to reporters on the eve of the first Test, Dhoni said he wants Sehwag to play his natural game.
"We want him to play the way he wants to play, because that is his natural style. We all know if he gets going he can dominate the bowlers and all of a sudden you see the bowling attack rattled," the 27-year-old said.
"We have seen if he plays for two hours or three hours, he is a batsman who is capable of getting big scores. He is not the kind who gets out in 30s or 40s; 50s or 60s. If he gets going, he gets big scores.
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NZC and their Asian broadcast partner Sony discussed the scheduling arrangements, including the possibility of adjusting the start time to grab more eyeballs at a later time zone in India.
After discussions with Sony, and with the teams and match officials, it has now been confirmed that the start time will remain at 11.00 am.The start times for the second and third Tests at Napier (March 26-30) and Wellington (April 3-7) are expected to be confirmed in the next few days.
They are a very competitive team, especially when it comes to exploiting the conditions out here. We expect tough cricket over the next 20-25 days," Dhoni said.
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"We don't rely on individuals. If you see our record in the past one and a half year, we don't really depend only on batsmen. The bowlers have come out with plenty of aggression on flat tracks. They bowled the right lines and have got the best batsmen out because of their consistency and execution of plans. We don't rely on just batsmen or bowlers, we have been good totally as a team." Speaking about the three-match Test series, the India captain said he expects New Zealand to come back hard after losing the one-day series 3-1.
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"He`s now very much in a class of his own and is easily the most destructive player in the game today," New Zealand batting great Martin Crowe wrote in a newspaper.
"Given his innings in Test cricket, triple hundreds, exploits in Twenty20s and, obviously, one-dayers, he continues to defy really what batsmen have been trying to do for ages," the former New Zealand captain wrote.
Sehwag`s century in the fourth one-day international in Hamilton last Wednesday was the fastest by an Indian.
He finished with 125 not out in a 201-run opening stand in 23.3 overs in a rain-hit ODI to help India secure their first series victory on New Zealand soil.
Sehwag notched up a 27-ball 40 with three sixes and as many fours in the final match on Saturday which New Zealand won by eight wickets to register their only victory in the five-match series.
New Zealand vs India 1st Test live streaming
Speaking to reporters on the eve of the first Test, Dhoni said he wants Sehwag to play his natural game.
"We want him to play the way he wants to play, because that is his natural style. We all know if he gets going he can dominate the bowlers and all of a sudden you see the bowling attack rattled," the 27-year-old said.
"We have seen if he plays for two hours or three hours, he is a batsman who is capable of getting big scores. He is not the kind who gets out in 30s or 40s; 50s or 60s. If he gets going, he gets big scores."
With India chasing an elusive Test series victory in New Zealand, something they haven't achieved in 41 years, Dhoni knows the importance of an in-form Sehwag up the order.
The right-handed batsman can change the course of the game in one session by pulverising any bowling attack into submission.
watch New Zealand vs India 1st Test live streaming
With Sachin Tendulkar appearing to be over a stomach strain that restricted his limited-over appearances, and the injection of fellow legends Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, this is an Indian side stacked with run-makers.
Having won the One-dayers 3-1, with Virender Sehwag slaughtering the New Zealand attack, India start as firm favourites to win their first Test series in New Zealand in 40 years.
"We're up against it," was New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori's frank assessment on the eve of the first of three Tests.
Although the green tinge on the Seddon Park wicket will give the bowlers hope on the opening session the pitch should favour the batsmen for the remainder of the five
Monday, March 16, 2009
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The celebrated trio apart, India could also bank on Gautam Gambhir, who has arguably been India's best batting find in recent times, Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to put the runs on the board. Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Balaji too can be handy with the willow.Given the wealth of experience and talent, self-belief and an enviable track record over the last 18 months, India begin the three-Test rubber as the favorites.
Guptill had good form in ODIs but his performance in the longer version has been far from satisfactory.
watch New Zealand vs India 1st Test live
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Kyle Mills, who on his day can trouble established batsmen, Iain O'Brien and either Chris Martin or new-find Brent Arnel could form the seam quartet.The young Kiwis would have to contend with the likes of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who had rocked Australia and England even on docile wickets back home. If the duo, assisted by Lakshmipathy Balaji, could seam and cut the Kookaburra ball, the hosts could be vulnerable under pressure, as they were in the ODIs.
In their latest outing they beat England 1-0 on the sub-continent, while they also defeated Australia 2-0 in India last year