James Franklin hoping for a Black Cap crack at India in Hyderabad

WELLINGTON - Wellington’s James Franklin is quite eager take on India in the second cricket test to be played at Hyderabad from Friday.

The 26-test all-rounder had to fly into action after checking his messages at 10 p.m. on Monday at his Napier hotel.

Instead of taking the new ball for Wellington on the opening day of the Plunket Shield at Nelson Park yesterday, he was up at 5.30 a.m., flew from Napier, via Auckland, to Wellington, was driven by wife Kerry to the Indian high commission to collect his visa, then raced back to the domestic terminal.

“Then I got told it was too hard to get the 11a.m. flight from Wellington to Auckland, so I’d have to go a day later. Five minutes later they called back and said, ‘you can get on, the plane will wait for you’,” he said.

A quick goodbye to his wife and son Charlie, who turns two next week, and Franklin jetted to Hyderabad for Friday’s second test, via Auckland and Singapore.

Franklin was summoned by coach Mark Greatbatch to replace debutant fast bowler Hamish Bennett whose tour was ended by a groin injury.

“I guess I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve been in and out; I’ve enjoyed the highs and suffered the lows, so I know all the emotions that go with international cricket. If I get a crack, then great, and hopefully I can nail it,” he said. (ANI)