N.Z. Batting Collapse After Century Stand

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32120, 16 October 1969, Page 15

N.Z. Batting Collapse After Century Stand

(From

R. T. BRITTENDEN.

N.Z.P.A. special correspondent/

HYDERABAD.

The new Zealand batting collapsed sensationally after a century opening partnership between G. T. Dowling and ?■ Murray on the first day of the third and final test against India yesterday.

From 106 without loss, the score slumped to 181 for nine at the dose, six wickets falling for the addition of 10 runs at one stage.

It was a cruel blow to New Zealand’s hopes of winning its first test series, which had appeared so high when Dowling and Murray were together. The series stands at one each. Dowling won the toss and naturally decided to bat. The weather was fine, but pleasantly warm and considerably cooler than on any previous playing day. ALARMING MIXTURE The New Zealand party was somewhat alarmed on the eve of the match when it discovered the groundsman applying cow dung and water to the pitch, and felt that the deadening effect this was likely to produce could have been related to New Zealand’s choice of three pace bowlers. But it is evidently standard practice here for the groundsman to use this mixture as a final binding of the pitch Dowling and Murray made a sedate start on a wicket gradually becoming responsive to spin and only nine runs came off six overs in the first half an hour. The medium-pace bowler, M. L. Jaisimha, recalled after his absence from the first two tests, opened the Indian attack with Abid Ali, but made little impression on the New Zealand openers. Murray and Dowling gradually increased the rate of scoring and put on 32 runs in the next 30 minutes offering only one real chance in the process. Dowling was unable to keep down a delivery from the off-spinner, E. Solkar, who was playing in the first test. Venkataraghavan, at back-

ward short leg, got both hands to the ball, but could not hold the catch.

Dowling and Murray continued their steady advance after lunch, taking the score to 106 when the New Zealand collapse began with the disastrous run out of Dowling. Dowling had made 42 when he and Murray got into a tangle taking a single off the left-arm spinner, B. S. Bedi. Murray was next to go, lofting a ball from E. A. S. Prasanna into the hands of M. L. Jaisimha at long leg. Murray batted 225 minutes for his 80, including nine fours.

G. T. Turner seldom looked happy as he struggled for two runs in half an hour, and after his dismissal B. E. Congdon was equally uncertain before being caught off Prasanna. Congdon made three in 42 minutes. At tea, New Zealand was 132 for four, but the collapse went on. B. F. Hastings was dismissed without addition to the two runs he had made before the interval, M. G. Burgess was leg-before to Bedi for two, and B. R. Taylor was out for one.

D. R. Hadlee and K. J. Wadsworth belatedly put up resistance to the Indian spinners in a spirited partnership, but New Zealand’s cause was not helped when Wadsworth became the side’s second batsman to be run out. With the ninth wicket falling at 166 and 30 minutes play remaining, it seemed certain that New Zealand would be all out before the close, but R. S. Cunis and H. J. Howarth stayed to the end.

Once again it was the Indian spinners who did all the damage, Prasanna having five for 51 and Bedi two for 52. POLLARD DROPPED New Zealand made surprising choices for the match with the inclusion of three pace bowlers and the dropping of V. Pollard. The selection committee’s reading of the pitch clearly varied from the popular one which suggested that two pace bowlers, with B. E. Congdon irt support, would have been ample. As expected, India has lost its wicket-keeper, F. M. Engineer, who suffered a foot injury in the second test. His replacement is Indrapit Singh, who was Engineer’s deputy in New Zealand last year and who, like Engineer, is a good batsman. India’s inclusion of four left-hand batsmen also argued that Pollard should have been retained. NEW ZEALAND First Innings A. G. Murray c Jaisimha o Prasanna go C. T. Dowling run out 42 G. M. Turner c Indrajlt Singh b Bedi . 2 B. E. Congdon c Pataudl b Prasanna } B. F. Hastings c Abid All b Prasanna 2 M. G. Burgess lbw b Bed) 2 D. R. Hadlee c Pataudl b Prasanna u B. R. Taylor c Jaisimha b Prasanna 1 K. J. Wadsworth run out 14 R. S. Cunis not out 7 H. J. Howarth not out . 5 Extras T Total for 9 wickets 181 The Indian team Is: Nawab of Pataudl (captain), M L. Jaisimha, A. Wadekar, S. Abid All, Indrajlt Singh, A. Roy, A. Gandotra, S. Venkataraghavan, E. Solkar, E. A. S. Prasanna, B. S. Bedi.