India on top despite Astle century

Close New Zealand 282 for 8 (Astle 103, McMillan 54) trail India 500 for 5 by 218 runs
Scorecard

A century from Nathan Astle, and some doughty resistance from Daniel Vettori late in the day, frustrated India's endeavours to bowl New Zealand out on the third day of the Test match, and left New Zealand 282 for 8 at stumps. New Zealand are by no means out of the woods: they ended the day still 19 runs short of the 301 required to save the follow-on. The Test match is interestingly poised, and rife with possibility: New Zealand may either manage to get past 301 tomorrow, or else fall short of it, and if that happens India may either chose to bat again, as they did in a similar situation against the same team at this very ground four years ago, or else put New Zealand back in.

On the day, though, it was a hard grind for India after the early inroads made by them last evening. It was Astle who held the New Zealand innings together, with partnerships of 91 for the fourth wicket with Scott Styris and, after Styris was out for 34, another 91 for the fifth wicket with Craig McMillan. These stands ensured that India could only take two wickets in the first two sessions, and had to wait till later in the day for larger rewards.

Astle began the day on 13, and progressed to a half-century by lunch, and a century, his first against India, by tea. His favoured stroke was the cut, which brought him most of his fourteen boundaries. Against the spinners, he often cut so late as to take the ball virtually out of the wicketkeeper's gloves. Astle's cut has a distinctive fanlike motion, as his bat changes direction in backlift and he hits down on the ball; in contrast, a batsman like Virender Sehwag often cuts the ball in the air, over point and on occasion even over third man. Astle benefited from India's strategy of leaving the point region vacant when Harbhajan Singh was bowling, and successfully took up the challenge of playing against the spin. His one lapse came just before he reached his hundred, a thick edge off Harbhajan being put down by Parthiv Patel.

Craig McMillan's half-century was the other contribution of note for New Zealand. McMillan came into this game with no form at all - his highest score in the last eight innings was 18 - but today he made merry against some indifferent bowling after lunch, and progressed rapidly to his half-century with some increasingly adventurous batting, even reverse-sweeping Harbhajan for four.

He and Astle looked so secure that Sourav Ganguly had to turn to the off-spin of Virender Sehwag. The move paid off in unexpected fashion. McMillan went down on one knee to play one of his favourite strokes, the paddle, and met the ball on the full. But Akash Chopra, who was only a few yards from the batsman, stayed low and focused and snapped up an excellent catch, inches from the ground (199 for 5). Chopra also caught Styris off Harbhajan at the same position; his close-in fielding throughout the day was of the highest standard.

India could only feel as if the end was in sight when they claimed the vital wicket of Astle for 103, in the fourth over after tea. Astle had played nearly flawlessly in the company of Styris and McMillan, but seemed to feel the need to compensate for the scorelessness of Jacob Oram, who either pushed at the bowling with his pads or attempted ineffectually to counter it with a series of ugly prods and creasebound swipes. Oram's queasiness proved infectious as Astle charged down the wicket to Harbhajan, was beaten by his straighter ball and stumped (223 for 6). Shortly after, Oram's misery came to an end at he fenced at Kumble, and offered a simple catch to Rahul Dravid at slip. It was Kumble's 350th Test wicket.

India could take only one more wicket in the day, that of Robbie Hart lbw to L Balaji for 15. It was Balaji's first Test wicket, and considering the nature of the pitch, he bowled a surprising number of overs in the day: 18 in all. Zaheer Khan, who bowled with such skill and hostility yesterday, failed to recapture that form, and bowled only 11 overs in the day. Nevertheless, it is that searing opening burst by him last evening that is responsible for India's current position of strength. But 12 wickets still have to be taken, and possibly some runs made, before India can go ahead in the series.