Kiwi opener McIntosh wants to settle scores with India’s Zak in Hyderabad
By ANIThursday, November 11, 2010
HYDERABAD - New Zealand opening batsman Tim McIntosh says that he has a score to settle with rival Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan and a point to prove to himself when the second cricket test between the two countries starts here on Friday.
“I’m actually looking forward to confronting him again. I want to get one over him here,” McIntosh told NZPA.
The tall left-hander is coming off a pair from the drawn first test when the crafty Zaheer showed he still has the New Zealander’s number.
McIntosh’s two visits to the crease lasted all of 16 balls at Ahmedabad where Zaheer continued to dog him, having him caught behind and trapped leg before wicket to maintain a stranglehold on the batsman first established in New Zealand early last summer.
Back then McIntosh fell victim to the left-armer in three of five innings when he managed just 60 runs at an average of 12 for the series.
While he has yet to bother the scorers in this series, McIntosh has already seen enough of Zaheer to appreciate the threat he poses with the new ball.
“He’s a good, intelligent swing bowler and he has the ability to move the ball in both directions.
“He certainly has a plan devised and I have been trying to negotiate that, I suppose you could say unsuccessfully at the moment,” said McIntosh.
McIntosh admitted he felt like he owed his team significant runs in Hyderabad.
Teams for the second cricket test between New Zealand and India at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium:
New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, BJ Watling, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Gareth Hopkins, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Andy McKay, Brent Arnel.
India (from): MS Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha, Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Amit Mishra, Murali Vijay.
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka). (ANI)
