Here's hoping Rahul Dravid's stay is shorter next time © Getty Images

Up around 8am this morning to post my day three blog and catch up with a couple of emails, off to breakfast at 8.30 and then to the ground at 9.30. We’re on the park for warm-ups at 10am and I get through my stretches, throwing, fielding and warm-up deliveries and am off the park about 25 minutes before start time. In this time it’s usually a couple of waters, a sit down, get into my whites and then out for a few more warm-up balls about seven to eight minutes before the start.

I wasn’t feeling too bad after all of yesterday in the field, sure I wasn’t as fresh as I’d have loved to be, but not too bad. I was to start up this morning, but as I bowled the last over from the beach end, Dan [Vettori] had to bowl one to change me around. The plan was to continue with what we did yesterday, hang tough on our lengths and make life as hard as possible to both score and be out there.

My rhythm had come back to me last night and the warm-ups had gone well so I hit this spell with a good feeling. I started well, hit my areas and had that ‘snap’ in the delivery. The pitch really wasn’t helping us too much so it was going to be a case of us doing different things to create results. I use the crease a lot when pitches get flat or when there’s a lot of movement, for different reasons. On pitches like this I use the width of the crease to create different angles, going wide, maybe in the middle and then back to close to the stumps, in varying patterns. By doing this I can ‘explore’ different parts of the pitch to find out if there is anything there variable. Also by changing the angles it means my stock ball is different, but still the same, for it just starts from somewhere else.

Continue reading "Need one breakthrough to swing the game"

If yesterday was a near perfect day, then add that to today and together they combine to make the makings of a very special match. That is two amazing days in the sun.

As it sits, India are 267 behind with nine wickets in hand. We bowled them out 314 behind our score in the 94th over of the innings. I put that in a pretty straight forward way because it’s quite an amazing situation we find ourselves in.

After having our bums smacked in Hamilton, defeated by 10 wickets, we have turned it right around, on a very, very good batting track. We’ve given ourselves a chance to pull off a huge and special win. We’re not celebrating at all yet, but the thought is there and in the hard times that we will find ourselves in over the next couple of days, it will spur us on to go to the next level.

I didn’t have the best of days with the ball. For some reason I just didn’t have ‘it’ today. The rhythm wasn’t there, the snap on delivery wasn’t there (till later) and the result was consistency issues; I wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t feel very good. My first spell today to Dravid and Tendulkar was not what I was after. First over a maiden the next went for eight; to straight and then to wide. And the majority of the rest of the day was similar. I couldn’t settle onto my normal lines and lengths and have a lot to thank the other bowlers for today. Martin was outstanding, Dan and Jeets (Patel) kept doing what they started the previous night and Franky (Franklin) hit great areas all day long. I felt like the weak link today, and that happens, sometime you just got to take a back seat and watch the others perform; I didn’t bowl in the 2nd session of the day because of it.

Jeets got the breakthrough for the day, Tendulkar on 49, looking to push one into the off side to bring up his 50, it takes the edge and Rossco (Taylor), at slip, takes a special catch. Jeets takes off on a celebratory run out to deep cover, I think he was happy! Thoroughly deserved and appropriately celebrated.

Jesse got the next breakthrough, his outstanding match continues. A short wide one and Dravid slashes, takes an edge and Baz (McCullum) completed a very good catch. I’d bowled plenty of those short wide ones today, and none of them even got close to the edge of the bat! The change bowler worked a treat and India were 246 for 5.

Continue reading "The feel-good factor continues"

Is that a perfect day of Test cricket? If it’s not, it has to be so damn close. I have never clapped so much in one day’s play ever before; there was 50’s, 100’s, a 150 and a 200, not to mention partnerships and also the team score milestones. That’s a special day!

It was a batting warm up day, we love these. A quick non-contact game (we all want to play football but aren’t allowed), into stretches and then you go and do as you please. I headed off to do some catching work, and was terrible. From there I went and had a little bowl just to get the body moving and just in case the unthinkable happened and we had to bowl this morning after a collapse. I went and grabbed one of my Aero pads, my gloves and bat and had a good few hits before heading into the changing room to grab a coffee, a water, take the boots off and put the feet up for the morning to watch some bloody good cricket. What a treat we were given.

Continue reading "A near-perfect day"

Now, I don’t mind days of Test cricket like these.

We got to Napier on Monday and trained on Tuesday. I had a look at the pitch on Tuesday morning and then, still two days out from the Test match, I was pretty keen for a bat on it. It’s always a road up here; it’s as close to Adelaide as you’re going to find in NZ. I had another look at the track on Wednesday and I still wanted to bat; so it was no surprise when Dan (Vettori) won the toss this morning and chose to bat first.

We were a little surprised when Sehwag was at the toss with Dan, MS (Dhoni) wasn’t playing; quick laugh at an overheard joke that he wasn’t playing because Craig McMillan (ICL) was in the commentary box.

We were 21 without loss after seven overs, not a bad start, and then it all went wrong for three overs. Sharma hit his lengths immaculately from ball one and picked up the first wicket. Mac (McIntosh) might have been a touch unlucky, given out caught behind; replays suggesting he didn’t get a touch on it. How, then, a little late on one, chopped it back onto his stumps and next ball from Khan, a short ball, and Guppy’s (Guptill) fended it to gully of his glove. Twenty three for 3 in the 11th, what a difference a couple of overs make and I can tell you that there was that uncomfortable feeling around the shed at the time.

Jesse joined Rossco (Taylor) out there and they did some special things together. They rewrote the record books with a partnership of 271 in 59.2 overs. That was the highest partnership for all wickets versus India and also the highest fourth-wicket partnership versus all teams. Amazing that Rossco and Jesse, in their 16th and 8th Tests respectively, could carve out something so special in a situation that desperately needed a partnership of note, to turn our day right around. It was 294 when Rossco departed with one of his trademark slog sweeps; we hadn’t seen it this innings till now, a top edge and a great catch right in front of where we were sitting ended his innings. Their partnership really gave us the chance to make it our day.

Continue reading "Crosswords, coffee and sandwiches"

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I hate losing! It doesn’t matter who to, how big, or if the writing was on the wall, I just hate losing.

We set India 39 in their second innings to win the Test. A 10 wicket hiding we were served. Outplayed in all departments meant that we weren’t even close.

Test cricket is hard; it’s supposed to be. It’s tough cricket for five consecutive days. It’s hard on the body and extremely hard on the mind, and that’s probably where we’ve let ourselves down. The concentration that is needed to perform for the periods of time that is needed in Test cricket takes its toll and is a tough skill to have, learn and posses. Only the best have it and only the best have that selfish streak that puts such a value on what you’re doing out in the middle that you going to go out there and do it yourself no matter how ugly you make it, you’re going to succeed.

Continue reading "Lose talk"

A tough day at the office is probably the best way to sum up today. We bowled India out just on tea this afternoon, although I was already off the park with ice on my side. I had walked off when they were eight down, with a niggle on my left side that was just starting to increase. I had already bowled a couple of overs with it and it wasn’t going away so I thought it best to get off and start some treatment before I did something really bad that would rule me out for the rest of the match and maybe the series.

So, I sit here, with an ice pack on my side, a curry in my tummy and a night of broken sleep ahead as I’ll be getting up every two hours to ice it; the joys of this game!

Continue reading "Sweating over ice"

And that’s why I love Test cricket. A tough day in the field and I feel fantastic; well not fantastic like on top of the world, but it’s great to be out there competing with some of the best in the world.

It wasn’t too long before I had the ball in hand today. I had bowled just the one over last night and I had felt great. I warmed up well today, the ball came out well and I was really looking forward to taking that feeling into the middle. I ran in for the first ball, and always with the first ball, I was worried about my front foot; that confidence doesn’t always come straight away. Front foot good but rhythm not the best; sometimes that’s the way and you know that feeling right away. I bowled a six-over spell here, it was ok, nothing flash, but not as good as I had hoped for. In this situation sometimes you just have to ‘suck it up’, accept the fact that it’s not perfect, pull back and just concentrate on doing what you can do to help the team out. I got through that spell without much damage to the scoreboard and was looking forward to my next one, where hopefully the rhythm would be back.

We did have a little piece of brilliance from Franky early in the first session. Gambhir called Sehwag through for a second, Franky picked up and hit with just over one stump to aim at. Sehwag, the guy who has been causing us so much grief was gone. Genius Franky, nice work!

That next spell didn’t come till after lunch and now I was feeling pretty good. First ball out was right about where I wanted it, next ball, not. This is something I’ve identified and it’s been the way since my first Test match. More often than not my first ball is good and my second is not. First ball to Ricky Ponting, my first ball in Test match cricket, length ball, just outside off. My second, leg stump half volley, luckily for me, fielded by CC at square leg. But that’s the way it’s been, it can only be a concentration thing. There are always things to work on!

Continue reading "How I bowled Dravid"

Sixty one for six before lunch and I’m sitting in the changing room contemplating putting my pads on; that’s not how I envisaged this morning going.

A look out of my window before heading down to breakfast, skies a blue and it looks good for a great day of cricket. Flick on the telly to watch the news and see the weather report, look like showers some stage today are on the menu; nothing strange there this summer. Good breakie with a relaxed Guppy, who’s debuting in this Test, posted yesterday’s blog and then off to the ground.

Pitch looks good, in fact, if we win the toss we’re going to bat first; which is what we ended up doing, but through losing the toss that is. I was pretty keen to get the ball in hand and bowl first, I always am though, I like to get out there and squash the nerves by getting into it. Not to be today, back in the shed, boots off, feet up and got set to watch an entertaining morning of Test match cricket.

Guppy and Mac were looking good early, Mac his typical watchful self and Guppy continuing the timing he’s had during the ODI series. The Indians bowled well and as the session went on, their lengths adjusting to the pitch, they got better and better, really making life tough for our boys. Not only tough but taking their wickets too. And at lunch I’m almost padded up. Not perfect.

Continue reading "The dumbest thing I've ever done on a cricket field"

It’s not the just ball that changes but the whole attitude. There is a different atmosphere in the nets, a little more relaxed; probably because there aren’t as many balls pinging around like when we’re training for one-dayers and Twenty20s. And testament to that was during a net session for the fourth ODI, our new manager, David Currie, learnt a valuable lesson; never turn your back on the nets. He wore a tracer from the middle of Guppy’s [Martin Guptill] bat in the back. Ouch!

The different skills needed for Test cricket have been practiced hard; the temperament, the control and the ability to resist temptations both by batters and bowlers and, from what I’ve felt and seen, I have a good feel about heading into today.

A long training on Monday in the nets making sure that everyone got in what they wanted, everything they needed to be in the best space. I bowled about seven overs in the nets and worked on a slightly new grip on the ball which should help me swing it more than I have done in the past, or at least give me a better chance to swing it, and it felt pretty good, my areas were good, lengths good and the energy at the crease good.

It’s was a nice day to bowl, not too hot, but warm enough to keep warm in between bowling times. I had a long bat on Monday too. I have been putting in a lot of effort in making myself a better batter to the point where I was one of the last to leave the nets. I faced a couple of very handy net bowlers and then got the bowling machine cranked up for some short stuff. Unfortunately the surface wasn’t the best for what I was trying to do; from the same length it was bouncing from my hip to over my head, just to big a difference to be comfortable with. So I went and grabbed the tennis racquet and some hard tennis balls and got our fitness trainer to serve me up some bouncers. Good stupid fun trying to duck, dive and play these balls. They still hurt when they hit you, but they’re not going to break a bone or cause bigger injuries if they hit; although I do have a nice bruise on my right hip from one of the bowling machine balls …

Yesterdays training, the day before the Test starts, is a little lower key. It’s about making sure you have done what you have to, to be at your best going into this match. You do whatever you feel you need to do. We did some fielding first and then I headed over to the nets to get a bat in before the batters turned up and kicked me out. I had Jeets (Patel), a good young leggie (Jono Hickey) and one other quickie who I asked to bounce me every ball; he was quite awkward to play, really good for me in decision making! It was a good net and I got what I wanted out of it.

Batting gear off and got ready to bowl. I got through three overs in the net and then headed out to the middle to bowl three balls from each end on a practice wicket, next to the strip, just to get the feel of the ground again. I felt really good; pace, bounce and a little swing and kiss and I was back to the shed to put the feet up and rest.

There is a feeling going into this match that both teams could be doing some time out in the field, or grazing, as we call it. Both bowling attacks haven’t been as good as the other team’s batting line-up and so far it has, very much, been a bat-dominated series. The only hope is that the decks we get have some bounce and pace in them. We’re not looking for green seamers, but just something that we’ll be able to run in, bowl hard and get the returns that you sometimes don’t get from one-day wickets.

So sit back and enjoy the action, I just can’t wait to get out there!

We batted first and looked pretty good by getting through to 270 in 47. Another couple of good innings from Baz [McCullum] and Jesse [Ryder] at the top gave us a great start and we probably should have scored more from there, although it was a handy score and one we could defend; if we bowled well, that is, which is what we didn’t do again.

Kyle Mills was accurate and his figures in the storm that was Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir stood out at the top of the innings. My figures took a hammering, again. I still feel like I getting through my bowling pretty well, I’m just not quite getting the accuracy that was needed in this situation. The rain played a big part in the second innings. It cut down the Indians chase, not that they needed it cutting down.

With the rate of scoring these two were going at they could have chased down our total in just over 30 overs; it was a bit of carnage out there. In any case, we didn’t do ourselves any favours in the field, a couple of half chances that on another day may have stuck, didn’t. Another amazing display of hitting from Sehwag and good rotation of the strike by Gambhir gave us a ten-wicket loss. That hurt, no one likes losing, but to get a hiding is a different story.

Continue reading "A loss and a win in rainy New Zealand"

Wow, last night was fun, if you were in the crowd that is; that’s value for money for the paying public!

Unfortunately I was dropped for this match, or fortunate if I were to believe some texts from friends; fortunate not to be a part of the exhibition of batting and the onslaught the Indians brought to the ground yesterday. I don’t feel fortunate at all. I was gutted to be dropped, it hurt a lot. I understood but it still doesn’t sit well when you’re sitting on the side line wishing to have an effect on the match. The match would have been different if I had played, no matter how you look at it. It might have been my day and things might have gone my way, maybe doing something special, or not, I could have had a really bad day and we got beaten by more. But either way I’d have preferred to have had the opportunity to have been a part of that match.

I hadn’t bowled as well as I had hoped, or as well as I can, in the previous two one-dayers (Napier and Wellington) and that was the reason I was passed over. I had missed too often to Sehwag and he had hurt me (42 runs from the 21 balls I had bowled to him in the two ODI’s). After the Wellington match I had a pretty bad night (and half of the next day), the night (and day) when the demons come out and play with my head; like they sometimes do after efforts that haven’t been good enough. Add to that a couple of personal things going on and my head space didn’t make for a great place to be. But this is the test, how I deal with this stuff and bounce back.

Wellington’s ODI I was looking forward to. Just the second time I would get to play at the stadium in front of a noisy home crowd for NZ. I was buzzing. I had bowled as well as I had ever done the day before in the nets, hit my lines and lengths virtually perfect to the plans we’ve set out; and this is one of the reasons I was so disappointed after the match.

I had the opportunity to watch some highlights (mostly lowlights for me) on the TV when we got to the hotel in Christchurch after the match as well as spending time ‘inside my head’; I noticed something that originally I had been very happy with. I’m not going to mention it yet but I feel that my consistency, accuracy and my ability to stick to a plan, my strength up until now, had been affected by one thing. And it’s something I have been doing in training but not taking with me into a match. It’s possibly the one thing that has held me back more often in my career than anything else. I went to our bowling coach for a chat straight away. It was from here I was able to escape the dark times and demons in my head. A positive chat and quick look over some analysis information from the T20’s and ODI’s previous and I felt normal again and ready for the next day’s match. I wasn’t to play though.

Continue reading "Dark times and demons"

I know you’ve become used to my reasonable level of quickness to get these blogs written and posted; sometimes though it’s just not possible.

I just have not had the time to get anything down since the last game in Wellington. I will though, of course, cover it off in my next post after this third match in Christchurch. Sometimes life just gets in the way of a good story, and at the moment there are a couple of things that have to take precedent over getting the blog done. No apologies, it just hasn’t been possible.

We got pumped yesterday, we weren’t good enough and we felt the full strength and abilities of the Indian team. (Read on...and right at the bottom, there's a chance to bid for a couple of auctioned shirts.)

Dan lost the toss (yeah, we were quite surprised too) and we were asked to bowl first; with rain forecast for later in the day it wasn’t the worst thing to be batting second knowing what you need when disruptions and recalculations happen. It just so happens that we let them score too many runs that when the recalculations happened, the task in front of us was a pretty steep mountain to climb.

We bowled well below par yesterday. The plans that we had kept to in the two Twenty20s worked; yesterday we didn’t stick to those plans enough and gave destructive batsmen deliveries in their areas, not ours. Our plans are right, we reviewed yesterday’s game and plans, extensively, this morning with the aid of the ‘Hawk Eye’ data that showed us that when we were in the right areas the scoring was limited and when we missed, we got pumped.

There are some positives that come from last night’s hiding though. We bowled poorly and India pumped up. How is that a positive? Well, had we bowled well and got thrashed then where would we have to go? It would have required a drastic rethink. And when we did get it right we did cut their scoring shots and reduce their scoring abilities.

I felt good last night, at times, and then at other times I just couldn’t get it to the right spots when I needed to. My first over was a maiden, it wasn’t quite right, but I’ll take that first up. My run up felt smooth and it was feeling easy at the crease. I didn’t have to try too hard to let it go, the rhythm was good...which annoys me even more as I didn’t bowl well enough consistently enough.

Continue reading "Ouch, that hurt"