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| Thursday, 9 October 2003 |
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Dravid bolsters India with unbeaten century AHMEDABAD, Wednesday (AFP) Rahul Dravid cracked an unbeaten 110 to put India on course for a big total in the first cricket Test against New Zealand here on Wednesday. The stylish middle-order batsman hit 12 fours in his 15th Test century as India reached 249-3 at stumps on the opening day after electing to bat on a good pitch. Dravid put on 72 for the second wicket with debutant opener Akash Chopra (42) and an unbroken 115 for the fourth with Venkatsai Laxman (56 not out) on a day of slow batting at the Sardar Patel Stadium. Seamers Daryl Tuffey and Scott Styris, and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, each grabbed one wicket to contain the Indian batsmen for two sessions in hot and humid conditions. India managed to score freely only in the final session as Dravid and Laxman exploded with a flurry of boundaries against both fast bowlers and spinners. The last session produced 100 runs. Laxman, coming ahead of regular number five Sourav Ganguly, was the first to go for strokes as he drove and cut New Zealand's bowlers to various parts of the boundary. He reached his half-century in style, pulling Tuffey for a four. Dravid was subdued early in his innings, taking no risks and patiently waiting for the loose deliveries. He played a major role in steadying the innings after the dismissals of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Styris got the prize wicket of Tendulkar in the post-lunch session when he had the batsman caught by lone slip Nathan Astle for eight runs. Tendulkar did not look his best during his 54-minute stay at the crease. He was kept silent by Vettori, who often bowled a defensive leg-stump line to deny the batsman freedom to play strokes. Frustrated, Tendulkar drove a Styris delivery away from the body to be caught in the slips, much to the disappointment of nearly 5,000 spectators who braved the heat and dust in anticipation of a long knock from their idol. |
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