India hands out innings defeat to Kiwis in Nagpur
By ANITuesday, November 23, 2010
NAGPUR - Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha helped India to register a victory over the touring New Zealand team by an innings and 198 runs in third and final Test match here on Tuesday.
Harbhajan (3/56) and Ojha (2/67) decimated the Kiwi top-order, while Ishant Sharma (3/15) and Suresh Raina (2/1) cleared out the lower order, bundling out the visitors for a paltry 175 runs in 51.2 overs in second innings.
The Kiwis needed 349 runs to clear the first innings deficit, but the immense pressure on Daniel Vettori’s men led to an abject surrender in three and half days.
Opener Brendon McCullum (25) was the first go in the 14th over of the day.
At 38 for three, New Zealand was staring down the barrel. Ross Taylor (29) tried to hit the spinners, while wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, who had scored eight runs in just 35 balls, tried to drive Harbhajan but the ball turned to find his bat and pad.
Jesse Ryder (22) did try to put up a fight at one end, but the other batsmen didn’t have the technique to stay on a turning track.
Harbhajan, in fact made good use of the rough patch.
Score in brief:
New Zealand: 193 and 175 (Tim Southee 31, Ishant Sharma 3/15, Harbhajan Singh 3/56, Pragyan Ojha 2/67)
India: 566 for 8 decl. (ANI)
