Azharuddin guides India to victory

Press, 19 December 1988, Page 21

Azharuddin guides India to victory

. By

DAVID LEGGAT

of NZPA in Baroda

A sensational batting performance by Mohammad Azharuddin carried India to a remarkable win over New Zealand in the fourth one-day cricket international on Saturday.

Coming in with India 118 for four in the twentyninth over, chasing New Zealand’s 278 for three, Azharuddin took India to its fourth consecutive win in the series with a superb 108 not out. He shared a 127-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ajay Sharma, who made 50, in only 83 minutes.

At one point, they savaged the New Zealand attack taking 61 runs off five overs, as the bowling fell apart. When Sharma was out at 260, having made his 50 off 36 balls, India was within sight of the win. Sanjeev Sharma was run out in the same over, giving New Zealand an improbable chance of victory. However, Azharuddin promptly removed that by crashing the first two balls of the next over from Chatfield to the boundary. He reached his second one-day century with another boundary in Snedden’s next over, off just 62 balls, including nine fours and three sixes.

Chetan Sharma was caught behind with the scores level, but Azharuddin then hit the winning runs leaving India 282 for eight — it had 17 balls to spare. New Zealand produced the batting form it has been seeking as it rattled on 278 for three.

The top four batsmen all made healthy contributions, none more so that the left hander, Mark Greatbatch, who made a rollicking unbeaten 84 off just 65 balls. With Tony Blain, who finished not out on 11, he added 67 in just 7.5 overs as the Indian bowling attack and

fielding wilted in the heat. New Zealand won the toss and found the flat easy-paced pitch it has been looking for. With India omitting key bowlers Kapil Dev and Maninder Singh, the batsmen made the most of their opportunity. From the first over of the match — which began 15 minutes late due to damp outfield — John Wright and Andrew Jones were in charge.

Wright took nine off the over and although he had the odd streaky shot early on, took the leading role in keeping the runs flowing. By the tenth over they had added 40 — Rashid Patel’s fifth over costing 15.

The 50-run stand came up in 11.5 minutes and the introduction of test seamer Sanjeev. Sharma helped lift the rate. His first over went for nine and when he took a spell after six overs, they had cost 45 runs, including the first six of the innings, when Wright lifted a ball on his legstump over the long-leg boundary with a onehanded swing.

Jones played more sedately, but had no difficulties with what amounted to a B grade Indian bowling attack and scored 72, just under five an over.

The runs kept coming as Wright reached his seventh one-day 50 off 76 balls including seven fours and the six, in the same over as New Zealand’s 100 arrived. It was the first one-day century stand for the opening wicket by New Zealand since Bruce Edgar and Ken Rutherford added 125 against

Australia at Christchurch three seasons ago. The record for the first wicket against India — an unbroken 113 by Edgar and Wright at Melbourne in 1980-81 — came and went, as Jones moved into the 40s by lofting Sanjeev Sharma to the mid-wicket fence.

By 25 overs, they were averaging more than five an over and Jones got his tenth one-day 50 in only his 23rd international. It came off 72 balls in 111 minutes. However, he lost Wright at 140. The New Zealand captain was stumped by Chandrakant Pandit down the leg-side off Venkatramana for 68. NEW ZEALAND J. Wright std .Pandit .b. Venkatramana6B A. Jones c Pandit b Venkatramana 57 K. Rutherford c Manjrekar b C. Sharma 32 M. Greatbatch not out. . . 84 T. Blain not out 11 Extras: (bl, lbl3, w5, nb6) 26 Total: (for 3 wkts) 278 Fall: 140, 155, 211. Bowling: C. Sharma 10, 0, 54, 1 (wl' nbl); R. Patel 10, 1, 58, 0 (nbs w3); S. Sharma 10, 0, 74, 0 (w2); M. Venkatramana 10, 0, 36, 2. A. Sharma 9,1, 31, 0 (w) V. Raman 1,0, 11, 0. INDIA V. Chandrasekhar c Bracewell b Morrison .... 1 C. Pandit b Snedden .... 30 W. V. Raman run out .. . 5 S. Manjrekar c Chatfield b Morrison 52 D. Vengsarkar b Kuggeleijn 28 M. Azharuddin not out. . . 108 A. Sharma c Jones b Morrison 50 S. Sharma run out 0 C. Sharma c Smith b Snedden 0 M. Venkatramana not out. 0 Extras (wl b2Tb5) 8 Total (for 8 wkts dec.) . . 282 Fall: 3, 12, 50, 118, 133, 260, 263. Bowling: D. Morrison 10, 0, 50, 3 (wl); E. Chatfield 10, 0, 61, 0; M. Snedden 9,0, 51, 2; J. Bracewell 10, 0, 49, 0; C. Kuggeleijn 8.1, 0, 64, 1.