Very cool this, to read the day-to-day blog of someone who is actually participating in the match. Really gives you a feel of how the game's going. The ups and the downs, the hits and the near misses. Nice stuff Iain, thanks.

As long as Sachin stays at the crease , India will be under control and will not panic.

If you guys somehow manage to get him early tomo, the game could get really interesting. But looking at the pitch , I really dont see a collpase happening and expect the Indians to bat through atleast 2 more sessions .

Love your blog, honest and to the point. As an Indian supporter, I an hoping for a draw, but would be nice if you took a couple of wickets and made things interesting. Hopefully Sachin will also get to his hundred tomorrow, he played beautifully today. All the best for tomorrow.

Ian, oh Ian, 'Maybe this was the pitch I could have done that on.'Do I hear a 'Touche'?

Great Bowling lain. I can realize the fact that this might be a tough day, but that's what test cricket is all about. Even though I am an Indian supporter, I think it's a lot more important to see good cricket and character. Both the teams are showing this. Great day of test cricket. The fact is India needs to bat for 450 deliveries to get the best possible outcome for them- a draw, and NZ needs eight wicket taking deliveries to get the most probable outcome for them- a victory. It doesn't matter how well Gautam and Sachin played today, they will have to get a new start tomorrow morning. Getting those eight wicket taking deliveries would be hard. I hope you guys try your best to get a good outcome. So best of luck.
Jai Hind! and Go NZ! Jai Cricket!
-KM

P.S. Your blogs are fantastic.

Great test match, but its drifting towards a draw now. Lets see some more good cricket in Wellington for the third game!!

hia buddy!! Dravid has definitely lost chance to post a coupla gud 100s.well, luck seems to be with NZs this match. Great batting, clever planning n brilliant execution on same parts!!lets hope u win the test by third session tomorrow!!! All the Best cuz u ve ben doin better the the visitors...

two wkts opening up the tail!! u dont count yuvraj and karthick as tail, do u?

"One may bring two which then opens up the tail".
Come'on Iain, don't tell us you reckon Yuvraj and Karthik as tail.

It should have been really tough day for the bowlers. The batsmen were glued to the wicket and I wonder how you guys keep bowling full steam to Dravid(and Gambhir too) only to see his bat come down in solid defence and push the ball rolling across the turf-- over and over again. All the best for tomorrow. I see another grueling day ahead under the sun.

heartening to see the Indians, on the backfoot, play like the did today....yes Dravid was definitely unlucky to be given out...

anyways....all the best to you too...but am a diehard Indian fan....so you know who I am supporting

Am praying sooo hard that India bats out tomorrow as well.

Iain, unlucky today mate, I though your lbw appeal was pretty close but oh well that's cricket. Just keep persisting with line and lengths and if you get some swing go full, that's how Martin got all his wickets with the new ball yesterday.

Anyway mate im loving your blogs and I reckon us Kiwi's have got a chance tomorrow.

From your biggest fan Jason ;)

hi..
good article once again...
but about the part of batting the whole day,i think you should look at getting a wicket in a day because today none of you bowlers looked like taking one and only one you got was a gift from umpire..
but again its part of the game and it was a fab game of cricket today..you people maintained discipline and we had our target in mind that is not to loose wickets without worrying about runs because we are not winning this test anyway..

its very funny to see brien saying this "one day! Maybe this was the pitch I could have done it on".until sachin stays every thing will be alright tomoro. i think tomoro game may go very close and atlast india will save the match, its my prediction.yuvi should bat patiently tomoro , if he hangs on run too will flow very easily for india

This was probably the hardest day at the office for the Indians. Only 205 runs in 90 overs showed what tremendous character and restraint the Indian batsmen have. Hats off to them. I had written this test off as lost, but it will go down as the most memorable (certainly on par with the 2001 test) if India manages to save this one. It was absorbing cricket. Ian, you bowled your heart out but still retained a smile at the end!

Best of luck mate.
You'll get me through my monotonous Monday in the office and am hoping you can pull off something special tomorrow. Regardless of the result I certainly think that NZ has really shown themselves in this test against arguably the best team around. Our preserverance and commitment has been outstanding and am delighted in the application we have shown. All the best

Rich

Hey.
Don't worry you can do a "Gambhir" on most of the pakistani and west indian pitches!

P.S: congrats on 1,000,000. Nice blog

India was on the backfoot when they strated to play on day 4. All the optimistic Kiwi fans need to stop entertaining the thoughts of them winning.. India showed today why they are the no.3 test side in the world. They showed passion, pride and selfconfidence.Nz bowlers have already bowled 200 inngs, they may feeling the pinch. India have weatherd the storm well, now its matter of keep going.Kiwis need a miracle to win this!!!

Go for the jugular..... make it a memorable last day!

Well bowled Iain !!
But I am an Indian backer after all!! You aint winning this one mate !! Well played, but India will end on top of this test as well.

Yuvraj and karthik definitely are nowhere above the standards of bhajji and zaheer...in fact , rite now i might even rate these two higher then our stand-in keeper and Yuvi....If you've carefully observed, Karthik got out driving way outside off-stump to Shoaib and got a nick 2 yrs ago in Pak...& the same mistake he has repeated in this test.His keeping has been shoddy , and so has yuvraj's fielding...both of them have been mere liabilities in this test , not to mention sehwag's rubbish leading that has led us to scampering for a draw. .....nyways...nice blog mate, u bowled well today, tested gambhir but were unlucky.

great reading as usual, lets hope for a few quick wickets tomorrow morning, would be great if this could go in to the third test 1-1, i guess the bad call on Dravid made up for the shocker McIntosh got..

Guys, Iain is playing it smart - he is hoping Yuvi reads his blog which well he might and gets riled and does something hot headed when he comes out to bat. All kiddology and Iain knows it. Let us hope Yuvi does as well.

All the best for tomorrow mate. Today was definitely one of the most enthralling days of test match cricket I have witnessed in recent times. You guys gave it all you had and the 3 Indian greats simply batted out of their skins. But just a request not to undermine what Indians have achieved today by saying you could have batted through the day as well in that pitch :). Mentally it would have been really demanding starring at that deficit and batsman had to use all their skills to counter that. I am looking forward to witness the battle tomorrow, I am already warming up to stay through the night :-)

Nice to see your updated blog daily.It was a tough day for u guys thanks to the Legend Rahul The WALL Dravid,bt i really think that was a hell of appeal from u guys specially frm Daniel Vettori,when it was pretty clear that THE WALL was not out.This wicket of wall remind me of his Sydney Dismissal,anywayz its all part n parcel of game,You played well, i really support you from my heart becoz you are in my CFL team.All the best for tomorrow bt i praying for THE GREAT ESCAPE from India.

Hi Ian nice to read ur blog Also it is very interesting to read a hand on report from one who is a participant in the proceedings. But Sachin seems to be in great form, and Gautham has shown charecter to be out in the middle, for the whole day, curbing his natural instict for stroke play. Any way, great day of cricket, and whoever wins, it will definitely be a hard fought win, Best of luck to both teams, and the team which would be mentally tough, tomorrow, will win the test. All the best and thanks for a nice article, and for accepting that Dravid might have been unlucky, to be given out. Also, sorry that your appeal against Gautham was not upheld in the first session.

With the very very special Laxman, and the ever aggresive Yuvraj Singh still in the armoury, its a dream to enforce a result in this test match. But before that a well settled Gambhir and the flawless Tendulkar is dere to take care of the toothless Newzealnd attack. Well played India. We once again proved that we deserve the "better team" tag.

An excellent blog from Iain! I am sure we are going to see an interesting finish tomorrow, of course from Indian point of view. Now a days Sachin is different than before. He plays either to help India win or help India avoid defeat. And we must not forget VVS.

As an Indian fan I hope you don't have the greatest of days tomorrow Iain, but having said that you did toil very hard to get your wicket today and if anybody did deserve one, it was definitely you. It's good to see good old fashioned test cricket again. After all the ball bashing of T20 and the frenzy of ODI's it a pleasant change to experience the true test of bat and ball. The true character of a team and player comes to the forefront in the longer version of the game and makes it a far more absorbing contest to watch.

So, best of luck tomorrow. But I hope you don't mind if i say, I'd like to see your wicket column remain as it was on day 4. :)

Great Perofrmance by Kiwis but do you guys see something unusual?

Indian Team chasing a target of 300 just to overcome Kiwis first innings score AND still playing hard..!!!

By looking at the stats, i don't think anyone would have expected Indians to bat even fourth full day, instead loose by an innings. so thats something i am proud of for Indian Crcket team.

Anyways. All the best to both the teams and hoping for Sachin to get another century and India to save this Test Match. ohhh and good on ya Gambhir. You really showed some character and proved that you are worth it.

Great Perofrmance by Kiwis but do you guys see something unusual?

Indian Team chasing a target of 300 just to overcome Kiwis first innings score AND still playing hard..!!!

By looking at the stats, i don't think anyone would have expected Indians to bat even fourth full day, instead loose by an innings. so thats something i am proud of for Indian Crcket team.

Anyways. All the best to both the teams and hoping for Sachin to get another century and India to save this Test Match. ohhh and good on ya Gambhir. You really showed some character and proved that you are worth it.

What is the mood in the New Zealand dressing room? It must be like a roller coaster during this tour. Nice blog because you also show respect for your opponents instead of bashing like some may do. Nice work, Iain.

After the Kolkata test, Australians learnt a lesson - you never enforce a follow-on when you have the likes of Dravid, Laxman and Sachin in the opposition batting line-up. I guess that the Kiwis too will learn that lesson tomorrow :-).

Nice to read your blog Iain. I hope you get some wickets tomorrow, sachin scores a big hundred and the test ends in a draw :-)

Love your blog, its very interesting to see comments from a player, always wondered why some teams did what they do e.g. was wondering why vettori bowled the first over today (i thought it was a poor tactic:)) but now i understand. I like your openess in the blog, wish you all the best though I still hope India draws the match !

Great battle today, Ian. Warriors from both the teams. One trying to win and another trying to save the game. I love test cricket!

Hi Ian.I am an indian.very nice blog and i really love your blog.regarding the match if u really wanna pull off a sensational victory you need to get sachin out.he is the one who can play any type of innings.all the best.but as an india i would want sachin to get his no.43.a small suggestion.try bringing the ball into him.you have a decent chance of getting his wicket.

No way dear. Indians are going to save the match anyway. Watch.... the "great" Sachin is going to make a ton.

I must say I get a feeling these blogs are of a man who is a very good student of cricket and a wonderful human being .You are a very nice man by heart.
You analyse the game so well,the current situation and then your own performance as well as you have a great heart to appreciate the opponents too.Well as far as the match is concerned I think only 2 results are possible a draw or a new zealand win ,but tomorrow first 2 hours play will be crucial.I think this was a good test match cricket as it has shaken up the complacency which may have entered in indian team mindset and also it has shown how tough this young new zealand side can be though there is still a lot of scope for improvement.
Never the less it was a hard faught day for indians and even for new zealand too and as a loyal indian fan will like to see this match ends in a draw which at the moment seems to be the result with highest %.I think the % will be 60% draw,30% new zeland win and 10% indian win.

Great blog Ian, love reading them."We’ll be pushing hard again, don’t worry about that." Dude, at the end of this test you would have been on the field for 280-90 overs (depending on whether the last hr. is called off or not) and then if you bowl first at Wellington, maybe another 130-40 overs on the field. That makes it 430 overs in a row on the field. Maybe Dan's pushed you too hard on this one. Best of luck with the match, series and your side strain.
p.s- amazing too see you run in hard ball after ball

hi ian....... first of all.. we indian would like to congrats u people.. bcaz today after a long long year i saw dravid playing shots like how he was in 2000.... and tendulkar was playing like he was in 1990....back lift and frontfoot and hook boundary... it was great to watch... am sure Gautam is going to fill dravid place in future........ the way he played today, we can believe this guy at any instant... congrats gautti.i hope India will draw the match and keep leading the series... All the very best for India.......... Jaihind..........jp

Your posts are lucid and good to read. Hope to see a good day of cricket tomorrow. Best of luck mate!!!

I'd like to see NZ win this test so we have a real humdinger for the third. The ideal script is for India to be bundled off after scoring about 100 odd runs leaving NZ to score about 160-180 in 40 overs. And for NZ to make that in a thrilling final over photo-finish. Wow!

hi IAN obrien it was toughest day 4 blackcaps but i think newzealand were lil sloppy in the field the body language were not dat high...and i think its almost over for newzealand ..now only miracle can do for them....

great cricket to watch,the way gambhir dravid and sachin played ,hope sachin and gambhir continue it tommorow the same way as they did it today, am waiting to see sachin scoring century and saving the test.feel sorry for the way dravid was out again a umpiring error.presume where will be no more umpiring errors tommorrow so that we will be able to a watch a great test match,all the best

I am an Indian born and brought up in New Zealand. A big fan of you Iain! I am hoping for a big NZ win tomorrow so that we have a cracker of a final test. I will be there cheering for my matest!

Cheers,
Boresur

Iain
Well done. Honest blog as usual.Yes, Dravid was unlucky or no wicket might have fallen all day! Of course, the score would have been a little less, since Dravid is more of a patient accumulator unlike Sachin who can accelerate if the situation demands.

All in all, a very absorbing day of test cricket. Once the deficit is cleared and after lunch, you will almost certainly see more positive intent from the Indian batsmen, particularly if not more than 1 wicket is lost.

They should not have let themselves in this situation, but having got there, they have shown great character in going a long way towards rescuing themselves. That is what makes a great team

Nice to see NZ put up such a tremendous performance

I really enjoy reading your blog regarding your day at office. Even if i miss to watch the match reading your blog gives me a real feel of that. As said by somebody before this blog spot is really special as this is written by a player after his day. Kudos to you and keep your great work going

NZ cannot win this match now...Their only chance was with the new ball...India from here goes needs to play awful cricket to loose...the main reason why india won't be playing such cricket is that they have already played one in first inning..so no chance in the secong inning too...India now will be confidently going into third test with score 1-0

hey ian.............i felt gr8 to hear straight from international player like u........keep it up

This was really a tough day for you guys but tell you what indians showed what it takes to be no. 1 side and the way sachin batted today in the last session mark my words tomorrow will be no different and yes keep posting its exciting to in through the match. Thanks

wishing both the team a good luck for the final day (more luck for the india team),wished there was no end for the fourth day , loved the way the indian played today, hatsoff to gambhir dravid and sachin. gambhir has proved it in all format of cricket, but today you are the hero, thanks for carring the bat whole day and giving some hope to million of viewer, great support from dravid and sachin,tommorrow first 2 hours will be crucial for indian and Nz will fight hard to win this test, as a die hard indian fan i would love to see sachin scoring century and ending this test in a draw .
good luck !!!

wishing both the team a good luck for the final day (more luck for the india team),wished there was no end for the fourth day , loved the way the indian played today, hatsoff to gambhir dravid and sachin. gambhir has proved it in all format of cricket, but today you are the hero, thanks for carring the bat whole day and giving some hope to million of viewer, great support from dravid and sachin,tommorrow first 2 hours will be crucial for indian and Nz will fight hard to win this test, as a die hard indian fan i would love to see sachin scoring century and ending this test in a draw .
good luck !!!

india will win this match.nz will be set a target of 150 runs and they will be all out for 80 runs.

We rely so much on our old brigade,our middle order is awful compared to the Kiwis, McCullum and Vettori at #s 7 and 8, wow !!

Some of the indian guys here are mentioning about rahul dravids unfortunate dismissal-ok-but what about the dismissal of Mclintosh that was an absolute shocker and what about the turned down appeal against gautam gamvir that was so mighty and pretty close??-so guys please learn to not be that much naive and one-eyed ...!!

hi, read ur blog but india will this test best luck to india

Great, sincere and a honest blog mate. All the best for day 5 for a crack at our team. But hope they wont budge, to our chagrin. May God bless you in your honest and hard efforts. ATB

Hi Iain, It is a test match with slow scoring rate as per Indian innings, but it was not boring at all.Great character shown by Indian greats and bowling was upto the mark, NZ bowling was tremendous today, wicket less but in my view better than yesterday.As it is not a dead draw, the test match is at its best. Best of luck Iain do your best.

Being an Indian supporter,i loved the way you put it.Yeah it was an extremely hard day at office for you guys.But you should remember that that's what the Indians wanted to do after the first Innings debacle.One thing for sure,I'm not going to sleep till 4Am un the morning here in Dubai just to se what happens.The first hour will be very crucial for bothe the teams.I thing Gambhir will go all out & Sachin will be playing the secong fiddle tomorrow.They'll try to knock off the remaining 62runs without losing any more wickets & then we;ll be heading for a draw.But NZ should go for an all out attack even though they are tired.Let's see

India need to bat 70 overs to save the test. Pitch is so good even NZ should be able to do that. From here India need to lose the test. And only 30 overs to play without losing more than one wicket. Ghmbir Sachin VVS should do it with ease.

It was wonderful to watch your reaction to the backfoot drive by sachin off your bowling....your expression paid the compliment...did you mean the same or people watching it imagined ?

Inspite for a very good day for the Indians, I still feel only 2 results are possible a Kiwi win or a draw. I would love to see Sachin get a hundred...and keep Ricky Ponting some distance behind. A great day of test cricket ahead tomorrow.

One question..did Jamie just did not know about the bat pad...why is the fuss created when a fielder claims a bump ball as a catch...this is much more obvious than those...was it discussed in the huddle agter Dravid departed, was there a thought shared maybe to invite Dravid back...umpires according to the law had to comply ?

Interesting to read your blog Iain. At the start of the series I had predicted 3-0 for India. NZ have done a great job in this test to come back from the first test debacle. From here I would expect India to end up 200 runs in front and the test ending in a draw. One factor of comfort for NZ is the fact that in all the tests which India lost last year...barring the poor umpiring marred Sydney test, the one common factor was Dhoni not playing......

It is nice here from hourse mouth. thanx Iain.
I liked this article, cause it is transparent and simple.
Though Sachin is key for fifth day, I would say Gambhir whould be key for fifth day. One of the reason is, Gambhir can give everything to protect Sehwag [this match captain], they are best buddys.

If you don't take wicket early in the first session, if there is lead for india going into lunch. If Sehwag decided to send Yuvi up the order to play his natural game, you will be in trouble. Yuvi is in great form, but he is bit unlucky with his approach.
Anyway it will be an exiting fifthday, which I think is rare in New Zealand cricket.

A BLOW to sachin on one dayers and another one today on ribs hope u r testing him
GREAT

Great to read about the view of every day from someone who is actually playing there.. Thanks Iain. Thanks cricinfo.

Nice blog....i feel fantastic day of cricket from indian fan point of view...you never see india batout whole day on forein soil...but still india is half way...test can slip in favour of NZ if they are able to pick 2-3 crucial wickets...

only two outcome is possible...
(1) India save test by batting out another day and can not loose series then anymore...
(2) NZ wins and 1-1 would be challenging bettle to into 3rd test..

NZ tried their best..all best to you too Iain.But the fact would be another stunning century from Sachin....interesting part will be last session tomorrow as NZ chasing a target of 200 plus from 30 or less overs remaining.Both the teams shows thier character but my bet goes for India as the way they batted on day 4.

Nice one Iain, Thanks. But Nah.....I think its too late to change anything now. Get Sachin out and then may be a teeny little chance...if not well...you know.

Good Luck....Go NZ

nice blog... thanks for spending time to write blogs... Expecting a tough day tommorrow... I believe Sachin, Gambhir and Laxman will play a huge roll tommorrow...

Great post Iain. Like reading the everyday update.

I, an Indian fan, would have liked India to step on it a little more, and see if we could set you a 200-250 target with 2 sessions to bowl you out.

You can't win a game if you don't want to lose! And with someone like the aggressive Sehwag leading, I don't know if 205 runs in 90 overs for 1 wicket on a very flat track, a tired NZ fielding and bowling side, leads us to World domination.

Hi Ian,
Wonderful blog with very good frank opinions. Mostly facts as happened on the field. Will root for the Indians as I am an Indian supporter but do concede admiration for this Kiwi test team. What did surprise me was asking India to follow on. Dan could have opted to bat the third day in a slam bang fashion and get the lead to 600+. He would still have to whole daysincluding the last one to bowl India out and his bowlers would have had some rest too. I am sure this must have crossed your mind as a team. But cheers to you and Blog on! You are good.

Ian, was wondering how did itfeel when Sachin pulled those audacious looking shot on your bowling? You had to be the best spectator!!!

I thought Dravid really batted well today.Unless Indians get out to bad shots,as they did in the first innings there is no way New Zealand are going to win this match.

Absolutely Robin. I have read most of your blogs Iain and in fact i did go back to your old ones since it was that interesting. Keep bloggin mate.

Good Cricket from both sides though i would give credit to Rahul and Gautham and Sachin for the way they played, i agree that you guys were tired as well.

I am sure India will manage a draw here but this will give a lot of confidence to you folks and you will go to Wellington with your tails up.

Great Test match cricket. Hats off to both the teams. NZ for maintaining the pressure and Indians for counter-attack. Happy cricket to all of you. Why can't there be a rule to punish the erring umpires. These idiots sometimes play a major role by giving non-sense decisions (like Dravid). Unfortunately Ian Gold is added to the elite group of ICC Umpires. What a pity!!!

Iain, somehow I feel Indians gonna rule the game tomorrow.

Today's match was great, watching India defending their wicktets and the character shown from the Indian side is why they are going to achieve many accomplishments if they continue to play like that. Dravid's dismissal was unlucky, umpires do make mistakes and there was no refferal system put in place. New Zealand has been great and tomorrow I am hoping India save the test match......a win abroad would be lovely!

It's very interesting to read your views about the match, Ian! It would be great if all the other cricketers too follow your example! You write very well! As an Indian fan, I'm hoping that India will manage a draw tomorrow!

If Sachin and Gambhir survive till lunch, India can expect a possible draw.

Great blog Iain. In my opinion, NZ is in a much better position to win than India to draw. I guess even 150 to win in the last session is possible.

Iain - your blog is great! Gives us a nice view of the game and what really happens on the field - the planning and strategy. This test has just been brilliant - great moments on the field - true battle between the teams. Keep going.

Nice to read your Blog Ian. I remained awake the whole night to watch the match here in UK. You guys just need 2 more wickets and then Indian team will be under lot of pressure , although Indian team might have other ideas. Franklin bowled some deliveries which batsman didnot have to play. would have been better to attack the stumps. Pitch might start crumbling on the 5th day. Even if India has a lead of 150 you guys should be able to make those runs provided the Indian team is bundled before tea

Nice blog Ian. I think NewZeland played really well so far in the test match but then India came back strongly on the 4th day. Hope to see a draw and Sachin getting to his hundred.

Nice stuff Iain, thanks for the post.But as an Indian supporter, I an hoping for a draw,Also hoping Sachin Tendulkar will get to his hundred tomorrow.Anyway Iain i'm loving your blogs very much and all the best to you and thanks for a nice article.

I am going to get up early tomorrow, to see whether India saves the test match. Gautam Gambhir's knock was worth it's weight in gold. Both Gambhir and Dhoni are naturally aggressive, and naturally defensive players. When the situation demands, they can be either aggressive, or defensive. Tendulkar is proving himself to be the master that he is. I do not feel bad, at umpiring errors. The decision against Dravid would not have been given, if it was not a close call. I hope that we can win the series two to nil. I wonder if Karthik has scored a century in any test match? I remember that he had scored a ninety eight, if I am not mistaken, against Pakistan. Hopefully, he will not be called to bat.

That's a one amazing blog you have .I loved your article .I hope it will be a draw :P

Hi IAN,
i saw ur spell in the first session and man it was probing and i feared the worst for the indians the way u guys maintained the pressure on the Indians in the first session was remarkable.Keep up the good work and i would be up early tomorrow too to watch ur spell in the first session.
cheers mate.

Hi Iain.What About that Back foot Cover Driver that Sachin Played of Your Balling?

Hey Iain
Got two things to ask ya:
1. Why did Dan Vett appeal so loud when they knew Dravid did'nt knick it?
2. Why did the Kiwi Commentator Smith call Sehwag D U M B ?

We understand your frustation guys but this is not what we want to see from Kiwis. Aussies, yes they do such things cuz they are dirty. But not Kiwis.

Go Kiwi Go! Go for the kill 2 moro. You guys have the talent and dont need such things to win.

Im an Indian Fan but still, I will support you guys for a win tomorrow as you guys deserve it.

Hi Iain. Nice blog i must say. but don't undermine the batting prowess of the indians. Good luck for the final day. But i reckon u wud toil real real hard for a win.... ;)

Nice Blog really.I must appreciate it.I knew like almost all cricket loving Indians that there is one guy out there who can play the whole day without making a mistake.He did not play the whole day though but he did not make the mistake either.Hats off to Rahul again not only for playing his role in saving the match but also for being the role model for the aggressive Gamvir to cut his natural instincts and playing such a jem of Test cricket in recent times.I am sorry Ian,I am optimistic about an Indian miraculous win tomorrow.The match is already saved for a draw,have no doubt about it.I'll really love to see Harbhajan bowl at you at the end of the day today.Yeah,miracles do happen in cricket and NZ has all the rights to hope for it,but the history shows India is the luckier one in this regard.And rightly so,they were brave enough for the whole day to resist your blistering attack.Tomorrow is the day when NZ is not safe also.Because we have the "turbanator" HARBHAJAN SINGH.

Ian, I went trhough your blog and so as the responces, many of suggestions many of advices. Smebody saying get rid of Sachins other saying do that. I know how you feel being at the ground. I am lauging at the same time when people comment about a person who has more than 28000 runs under his belt. Revanth go and learn cricket first, spend some time more on watching cricket and then put suggestions. You are talking about a person who has 2 shots for every ball, he can easily sense what a bowler must be thinking at the runup. No discorage Ian, isnt it right. I wont give any suggestion to feel good but you know where this match is heading to. Hope you can do better in the next game but remember another master will be back in the Indian squad.

Hi Iain. Nice blog i must say. but don't undermine the batting prowess of the indians. Good luck for the final day. But i reckon u wud toil real real hard for a win.... ;)

hi Ian,

the last time i posted on ur blog, sachin made a ton. so here comes my prediction "Our little fella wil make a ton and a big one tat wil b"

Hey Ian,

Excellent blog entry, as usual.

In my last comment I had mentioned Dravid talking about batting 'time,' not necessarily runs, and that is exactly what they are doing while shooting for a draw.

But I wouldn't write them off just yet. They will play out of their skins. Even if you get past Laxman, don't forget that even their replacement wicketkeeper, Karthik, is a pretty darn good Test batsman with one century and seven 50s to his name in spite of having played only a few tests.

Looking forward to a great day of cricket tomorrow! Keep the blogs coming -- I love reading them!

Nice blog Ian. I like your blogs & your bowling.

I feel the pitch is pretty flat with no seam or swing for the bowlers. The spinners are not able to get bounce or spin out of it. I am hoping that Sachin gets a century.

All the best for day 5 and we would also love to watch you bat an entire day :p

Here is hoping that the Indians will set a target of 180 or so in 40 overs, and that the Kiwis will follow it with a "England at Adelaide 2006" style disaster. Highly unlikely, but certainly better than the more likely boring draw where India will be ahead by about 80 with an hour remaining and then the captains will shake hands.

Tough day for you guys....but I don't think that you are in a situation to win the game..with sachin in this kind of form...would take something special to get him out...
Keep Bloggin!

Add 2 wickets to your total to date. You had Gambhir lbw with the slower ball. You also had Sachin lbw with the one that cut back at him and hit him in line with the off stump.
Dravid had a life in the 1st innings when caught off a NON-no-ball from Vettori, so big whup on his second innings decision.
You know that Yuvraj is a mental train wreck, so all you have to do today is get rid of Gambhir and Tendulkar and the LOOOOONG tail is exposed. Go BIG!

Ian, ur a gentle man.. So, cool n kind. Nice chat.. As, an indian v like kiwi's. I wish u all the best for tommorow.

Any chances for Showers? How is the weather Ian? Just checking this since if 3-4 wickets fall the n perhaps Rain shud help India to draw this test match! But just cannot wait for this boring test to get over...and looking out for some excitment in next one. But now we ,Indians know that Team Ranked NO.8 cannot be taken lightly in any depts. of the game. Anyway good lucks to you and NZ 4 tommorow. But i can smell a IAN!!

Ian, Its nice to see your blog. You seem to be a cool and honest dude. Great bowling man!!
As an Indian supporter, ofcourse I would like to see this Test drawn. However, kudos to this young NZ team for making the Indians work as hard as they did and will the last day to save this test. Vettori seems to be a good captain. The wicket of Tendulkar is going to be cruicial and if he falls early, I think NZ stand a very good chance.

I am very happily surprised to see so many fans of Test cricket afterall. This is delightful in spite of so much time and money spent globally on this 'wild slog' called 20/20. Also while seats are mostly empty in Test matches, spectators rush in to watch ODI and 20/20. Why is this Bollywood version of cricket so popular as compared to 'Satyajit Roy' version of Test matches? I am getting my hopes and faith back on Test cricket after reading all these comments. Good on you all!

Congratulation also to both teams for keeping us awake all night with a memorable display. As an Indian fan, I am naturally looking forward to celebrate India's heroic draw tomorrow morning.

One small point. Neither Yuvaraj nor Karthik are Test match materials. Yuvi is a poor replacement for Ganguly. Sooner Badrinath is given a chance and Dhoni comes back, the better. India should have also selected a legspin bowler (we have a good one!) instead of Munaf Patel who was leaking runs all the time. NZ chose 2

Hey lian you toiled well man and havn't got one but you will tommorow and it will not shake the match ofcourse its the deep rooted indian tree you are trying to root out and i dont see a way you guys gonna do it.any how best of luck dude.

Great blog man, really appreciate it.

One more great blog.

You are always honest and respectful. Its really nice to read your blogs. I think you epitomise Kiwi cricket i.e. sincere, honest, hard-working and low-profile.

I think for all those talking about the SA-Aus test series this one has been quite a excellent series too. I think test cricket peaked today with an awesome day's play.

One team totally on top and the other nowhere near safety even after three excellent sessions of batting.

Iain - good daily column. I guess the appeal against Dravid was too loud out of frustration when Dan and Jeremy knew it was off the pad. Dravid has been unlucky against other teams in crucial conditions for being given out. The situation could have been totally different if Dravid and Gambhir would be still on. India's best chances for a draw usually depend on players like Dravid and Gambhir. Good luck tomorrow.

i watched the full day's play.
I would have been happy if he wrote about Sachin's trademark cover drives off Mr.O'Brien's over.

Hey Iain
Well done
However no mention of the innings Sachin has played so far
I think no 43 is in his sights.....dont you

Well played and bowled, Iain - on a batting wicket to keep India to 200 runs in a day is a fantastically disciplined effort. I particularly enjoyed your bowling to Sachin today. I thought you were taken off prematurely. A longer spell, and the ongoing tussle would have been wonderful to watch.
All the best for tomorrow.

Ian,Nice bog really.I will pray for Indian to finish tomorrow with 1-0 lead.sachin is there we can bet on him.:)

Sachin.. Jai ho..stay till the end... bat with munaf patel too..... u r GREAT....

Good Blog Ian. Best of luck tomorrow. I'am sensing a draw here with Sachin going on to make a century. Wishing the best of luck to India as well.

Geez, some of these indians are arrogant. I preferred them when their team was rubbish, at least they weren't so lippy.

Felt really good that our dashers and bashers also showed that they can play in true test match style too. Today required a different approach and Gambhir, Sachin and Rahul were upto it. Kudos

There isn't much you can do when attacking batsmen like the Indians play defensive on a benign pitch.The new ball wasn't used properly;Sachin raced away to his 50.If Yuvraj & Dinesh Kartik bat with the same mindset,there's nothing possible other than a draw.

Nice to see india fight back. They have not done outside sub continent since gavaskar era.
But i still think, new zealand will win needing 130 from 30 overs in last innings.

There isn't much you can do when attacking batsmen like the Indians play defensive on a benign pitch.The new ball wasn't used properly;Sachin raced away to his 50.If Yuvraj & Dinesh Kartik bat with the same mindset,there's nothing possible other than a draw.

this is heading towards a draw..
the first innings wickets (except for sachins soft dismissal) were all on aggressive shots.. no bowling beauties..
today we din't plan rash and kiwis got nothing. of course dravid was gifted to them.

@Paul. Good to know your opinion Paul. I can really sense your frustration coming out even from thousands of miles away. Perhaps a good little reminder would serve you well in the sense that India would always be on top of New Zealand around the globe except in New Zealand itself even if it the Indian team was rubbish. Can't even imagine what that makes the New Zealnd team. The Indians are becoming more lippy in every field, not because of the better cricket but because of some commendable progress made overall, my friend.
As much as wrong decisions by the umpires go, I am sure everyone here will agree with me that the one that can possibly have the biggest impact on the match was that of Dravid's, which was really a horrible one as the bat was nowhere close to the ball. You can't possibly neutralize such a crucial decision with other blunders that have been made by the umpires.
I am still not assured of a draw unless no wicket falls in the first session or maybe Dravid was still there

19 years back on this very ground, Sachin fell short of a century by 12 runs. That would have made him the youngest cricketer to hit a hundred. India never played at Napier since then. Would like Sachin to get a century now to make up for that missed one.
@Paul - If the Indians are arrogant, then that makes the Aussies super-arrogant. Ouch, are you Australian ?

Iain, great blog, has that sort of a balanced view about it, shoud be an interesting day tomorrow,lets see how the day and both teams shape up.

Paul,

Some Feedback, When you have a population size of a billion and Cricket is a PASSION for all Indians, you will expect different strokes from different folks..Anyway arrogance comes in all races, it just seems more evident in us Indians when we display it because its something no one, least of all westerners expect, although it is becoming an expected habit at times, although we have yet to master the art to make arrogance seem a part of us, our ancient culture doesnt allow us to be arrogant, just cool and confident, come visit India, it is an ancient country of a hundred hues, you will be left Spell bound and very very warm people....From Chill Pill Ed

Good luck OB! for the final day.

It's a demoralizing sight for any bowler when the batsman defends each and every ball with ease.

This 4th day of this Test proved what Test Cricket is. Moreover Gauti, Rahul and Tendy proved that they are real Test batsmen.

Be cautious, Indians might have got an idea of shifting to the T20 mode for the first session to post a commanding total and grant you a tough target for the remaining 2 sessions.

Its an eye-catching view for all the cricket fans for what it is going to come on day 5.

It will be a great Test match victory for the team which is going to succeed in the end of the most awaited LAST DAY.

Good luck for both the teams.

Iain! Nice blog!!! I appreciate your honest comments and down to earth approach while looking at the things but you missed only once and hoping for a win. To be very frank NZ took 0 wickets y'day. You agreed you can bat whole day in this pitch. Think about Tendulkar, Laxman, Gambhir. Anything outside off they are not touching which means chances to get them out is less. You need to bowl wicket to wicket which they score freely easing their arms. Another 100 runs they would go slow and then they would try to lift the run rate. I expect a tame draw (80%). All The Best!!!! India will take this series!!!!

Ian, you really need to dismiss Sachin and Laxman and harbhajan - these are the only thre left

Yuvraj will edge to third slip, kartik you can get him out any way you want - Gambhir will get out due to fatigue - so, really it is sachin and Laxman you need to work on

Sehwag's captaincy ha sbeen so lax that even a top team like India can come to a stiuation where they faced an innings defeat

ian , when you mee sehwag pleaes tell him that Test cricket needs to be played with a different mindset and not the hit and giggle type - finally, your bowling was fantastic - you looked the one that cna get sachin in trouble

Thanks for your comments, Ian. Yes, two wickets and you are facing Yuvraj and Karthik. You must be salivating! However, don't discount Laxman and Harbhajan. Hope Sehwag has some sense to send Laxman ahead of Yuvraj. Best of luck.

Two wickets. Then NZ will be onto tail. wow! thats what opposition 'rightly' thinks. Yuvi is part of tail. Yes. I fully agree.

The Entire new zealand team and their coach think indian tail starts from yuvraj singh particularly without MS in the team.The likes of Yuvraj and Kartik have been in international cricket for ages now. What the hell have they learnt so far. I cant see a reason why both can learn from Gambhir and if the need arises curb their stroking instincts and instead occupy the crease. Who knows it may be a good opportunity for Yuvraj Singh to get himself in to form. I think if he doesnt perform in this test and one more after this (as there are no extra batsmen worth mentioning so he is safe for now), he will be forgotten for the tests. He has eked out too much living on the promise so far and its time he is shown the door if he doesnt perform. I was aghast at the wicketkeeping talents of kartik. God he does everything other than collect the ball and atleast dropped 4 catches. Its time the selectors looked beyond kartik and parthiv patel to someone as backup for Dhoni during overseas tours

Nice post mate!!But I think your chances are low.The way Little Master is batting and Laxman to follow,you can not expect wickets on a pitch like this.You have to make them play as much as possible if you want them to make mistakes.These players are great in applying themselves to situations.If Laxman clicked on day 5 along with Gambhir or Tendulkar as partner,you guys will find it difficult to take a break-through.I think a well deserved draw is waiting for India.Lets see.Byee.

i think india batted well today.they were slow.but it was the situation of match that tempted them to play slowly.both dravid as well gambhir played well even tendulkar also played well.i thought there was nothing in the pitch.picth was very flat,very difficult for the bowlers to get wicket in these kind of tracks.dravid has palyed these kind of innings before also,but gambir no,i had never seen gambir playing slowly.he palyed whole day and completed his 100.again match is not over yet.if newzeland can take couple of wickets in the morning session they have a great chance to win this test.specially if they remove both tendulkar and gambir in the 1st session than they have a chance.yuvraj singh has not done well in the test matches,even karthik also not done well in test matches so far.so if they can remove 2 or 3 wickets early tommorow then there is a chance for kiwis to level the series.so all the best for both u and kiwis.

hi ian
great to watch you bowling , but u guys will have a another hard fought day to win this game .
you have a great character and good heart to appreciate the oppenents. great work dear wish to keeps on going
best of luck.

hi ian
great to watch you bowling , but u guys will have a another hard fought day to win this game .
you have a great character and good heart to appreciate the oppenents. great work dear wish to keeps on going
best of luck.

Hey Lain
Nice work on day 4 from both teams. I am an indian fan so would definitely want us to save the game, but in any case, best of luck for day 5. Win or lose this game has been fascinating. Keep up the good work

i love u dravid.if this test finishes as draw its only because of u.praying for sachin and vvs to do there best.this indian team is the best.with guys like gutham,shewag n yuvi around i think the 3 big old guys of ind cricket(wall,master,v.v.special)are enjoying there game.
come on india!make ur fans happy.
nz is the team with good spirit n talent.that is what is making this test so special.
i think i wont be that disappointed even if we loose.coz i already witnessed some good cricket.
its the sportpersons who bring different people close n not just sport n ur blog stands as a proof to it.thanks crickinfo.

Hey Mate-Good to see to putting your honest effort to write this blog-It is always great to know as to what is happening on the field ,form one who is actually palying-Hats Off-You have been giving us insights-I think Danny has made a mistake in asking India to follow on-and we all have seen as to what has happened-But I really like your cricketing sprit-(I did notice the compliment you gave our Little Master with a look when he stood tall and punched you through the offside for a boundary)-Great Sprit mate-You guys desreve more than to be at No: 8 in the ICC test rankings-Jesse Ryder's name created ripples in India when he bought by the Royal Challengers-but then now we all understand why he has bought-Passs my wished to him,he has the potential to become one of the best attacking batsman the game has seen-Anyways acording to me the first 30 mins will be important on Day4-Being a true Indian supporter I would like to see the match end in a draw-and just 2 in you wickets column-NOT BAD

It was great day Ian...u worked really hard. In fact, NZ had no wicket in the whole day. dravid's wicket was a gift for hard work from Tall man standing there. But dont loose yr heart...tomorrow u can make slower scoring rate by delivering more maidens!

It was great day Ian...u worked really hard. In fact, NZ had no wicket in the whole day. dravid's wicket was a gift for hard work from Tall man standing there. But dont loose yr heart...tomorrow u can make slower scoring rate by delivering more maidens!

Hey Ian! you guys deserve to win this match! Indians ... with their sloppy fielding and pathetic captaincy do not deserve to draw this match! Good luck mate! Keep writing....love to read your blog.

A draw is still a small victory to NZ. Number 3 team should walk over number 8, especially when half their top 6 has each scored more than our entire team.

Look there goes Sachin ahahahaha! lick that Indians, no ton for him this time.

Well paul, My sympathy to you. But try to respect the legend the indian players are. They are way above NZ standards. Even in your country you are expecting luck to get you a win. Reading your blog makes me even more proud of my team.

True that paul, good blog Ian, hope the boys in black go well

hey man, u signed my floppy at hamilton!!!!

nice reading a blog of a person actually playing in a game, well i hv just finished watching morning's play today, sachin got out early but another classy bat laxman is there to hold the kiwis for more, draw is surely on the cards,and u brien bowling to legside frequently surely not helping ur team's cause, neways there is still slight chance of a victory which depends on a miraculous spell may be from vettori or martin

This feels like a real-time blog. Great Job O'Brien. NZ did really well coming back from a 10 wkt defeat. Whether you win this match or watch it go for a draw, this match should be a real confidence booster for the Kiwis.
Wish you all the best (not whole-heartedly)...

An Indian Supporter

at lunch its 306/3. looks like they're gonna hang in there. i'd like to see mishra in the next test. its such an honor to watch so many great players playing. just enjoy the match and stop arguing people!

Lovely blog from a player. It is turning out to be one good match. Congrats to NZ for playing so well in the first innings and well done India for a good fight back. Thatis the beauty of the test matches. May the best team win..or is a draw sweet justice..,

Good to see the 'superstars' scrapping for a draw with team number 8! It's great watching the Kiwis out-bowl and out-bat the Indians this time. Keep up the good work.

I totally agree. I just hope that when that opportunity comes you don't grass it so to speak.

gimp dropped gambir and any chance of an nz win. nice one

Nice blog by Iain - read it for the first time.

Paul: a) I don't see a single comment by an Indian fan that warrants this pig-headed message from you! and b) Yep, the current Indian cricket is truly good and we'll "lip" about it.

Cheers.

In the first test, the Indian batsmen showed how to force a win in a Test Match....and in this match, they taught how to save a test match. Great going guys..I don't remember many instances where we saved the match from such a situation in the past!!

Goood... Hope You have not seen much of Yuvraj yet to lay him in "Tailenders" basket :) Funny.

Nice blog Ian, good effort all the best for next match.

I admired the way New Zealand played today. I am an Indian supporter living in Auckland since 1999 but I really did love the way the team just did not give up till the very end. Something for the Indian fielding department to take home with them, that was great and there was a sense of desperation... words cannot describe it. Nice effort out there today and you of all people would know that you gave it your all!

I am pleased to see that India were able to secure the draw but an admirable effort in the field by NZ!

Great test match, didn't even go to uni over the last few days to watch every single ball!

Great to be reading up your blog, and seeing you play the next morning on the field. Love your spirit! Sorry for how you guys must be feeling today, but well, Gambhir did something special. He deserves this draw.

Half a chance at winning a match, that too because indians were careless the first time, and its amazing how some NZ'ers here get all hot and bothered about their 'strategy' and 'skills'. Here's a tip on what can help you guys (esp Paul) - 'Prayer'! Learn to live with the fact bro, Indians are hares to your tortoise. Just because they sleep off once in a while doesn't make the tortoise the faster one, just occasionally lucky.

Note: I was referring to day 5 :), not from last night, just couldn't wait for your blog on today's play to post up here and compliment your team :)

Hey Brian, it was sad to see you dropping that simple catch of Gambhir - and the disappointment you showed at the time of drinks. Can't wait to read your day-5's blog.

Hi Iain, I was pretty much disappointed with your effort on the field & am sure many kiwis would also be equally disappointed. You shouldn't find any excuse for dropping a sitter offered by Gambhir at a crucial juncture. You felt awful about the goof up & your body language gave it all away during the drinks break. Be prepared for some tough talk from Dan. Instead of standing aloof during the drinks break you should have had a chat with the others, apologized for dropping the catch & reassured the team that you'd make up for it if you'd get to bowl. You should display the fighting spirit at tough times on the field. I truly hope you perform better in the last match ,justify your potential & keep the fighting spirit on.

Not the easiest thing to do Vijay. Iain has steamed in bending his back day after day for 3 full days! He has given it his all, catches don't always stick, hey they've been in the field for 2 full days with not much luck the heads would have dropped and he wouldn't have been expecting it...
Yes those chances need to be taken but I don't think Dan would've been to dissappointed with the effort from Iain on the whole, I think he has done what the captain would have asked for!

As an Indian fan I felt terrible when you dropped Gambhir. I know it was a easy catch, but 3 days in the field and 25 overs of balling will inevitably lead to some tired bodies, and tired minds. You must have felt like the ground was going to swallow you up there, and I think more then a few people felt your pain there.

I don't think that was a pivotal moment in the game though. Even if Gambhir had been caught I think both Yuvrag and Karthik would have come out and played better then the first session. Both those players had points to prove and with time a factor i don't think the early departure of Gambhir for 15 less then what he did get out for in the end would have mattered much.

The damage to the kiwi's was done by Dravid and Gambhir on day 4, day 5 just sealed the draw and made apparent just how good this wicket was.

Take heart Iain, you played well and had one bad moment in the game which people will remember more then the 4 days of hard work.

Dear Iain,Looks like everyone is waiting for your Day 5 blog for one reason or another.There are a few people on here that behave in a very unsportsmanlike manner,that is unfortunate but life.Anyway,I know that the idiots talking trash could NOT have done half as well as you have on the field or off.Those are usually the most critical types.As for that dropped catch,shit happens to the best of us and that one miss sure did not take the win away from NZ.You looked too sad in one picture that I saw of you at that point.Take it w a grain of salt and as one more lesson learned that will make you all the better in the next match.For whatever reason India started this test out poorly,they pulled themselves together to make it happen.NZ has become even stronger regardless of the outcome,just based on going through this experience.NZ is in a period of redevelopment but remember to maintain your smile and positive outlook throughout the growing pains.Good job!!

Dear Iain,waited for your Day 5 blog,As for that dropped catch, one miss did not take the win away from NZ.You looked sad in tv picture that I saw of you at that point.Definitely nothing was there in the pitch & Vettori/Patel are not the great turner..still then great effort from the Kiwis..I admired the way New Zealand played today...Anyway it was a Great test match..all the best for next match.

its my 2nd comment here,m still waiting 4 ur latest blog,hard luck today,but the pitch is too batting friendly to win a test match, i think indians really played very badly in their 1st innings thus making the kiwis feel 4 a unlikely victory, but they came to their true character in their 2nd innings and batted out near about 7 sessions to confirm a easy draw at the end, and about the catch u failed to hold on, that can happen to any great player, dont feel sorry 4 that, i know u will come back really hard with all guns blazing in the 3rd test match

A match that shall be remembered for Gambhir's endless vigil, Dravid-Tendulkar-Laxman at their very best, Ryder-Taylor-Mc Cullum with their superb batting,some gritty Kiwi bowling, India's great escape and Iain's blog-athon in the face of happy and sad moments on the field...keep going Iain!

Hi Iain!!! Seems that Bond might actually be available for the third test!!!!! Now that would make the third test interesting. Who do you recon would walk right in and who will be left out if all the players are available for selection?

Ha! Dove, I second your opinion about the hare and the tortoise. Nice way to put it.
Don't worry too much Mr. O' Brien. The pitch was bad. Its good to be optimistic but somewhere down the line, the Black Caps should just accept the fact that unless there is a green top, the Kiwis just don't have a good enough bowling line up to take twenty Indian wickets. Wonder about imagining if the umpires had got all their decisions correct in this match, the situation may have been different and more interesting but at the same time, more demoralising as the scoreboard would have read somewhere like 476/2. That would have really been something to look at! Or maybe even 450/1 as both Dravid and Gambhir were wrongly sent off, and if they hadn't been, we might not have even seen Tendulkar, Laxman and Yuvraj yet!
But nonetheless, really top notch effort by you. Don't think too much about the catch, the match was over by that time anyways.

Was rooting for India to draw, but A+ to NZ as well for their toil and perseverance on days 4 and 5. That's why test cricket remains the true test of a cricketer's character and real worth. (Sorry about the dropped catch, Ian, it could happen to anyone...)
Let's also hope for a slightly more result-oriented pitch at the Basin Reserve.

No blog today Ian? Surprise Surprise:-)) As Steve Waugh would have said, how does it feel to have dropped the Test Match! I know it is a cool thing these days to be blogging and all, but maybe you should not be doing it during a match. Rather concentrate on your game and win it first right?Especially when you are playing a team far superior to yours!

Wonderful test match and over the moon that India won. But I agree with Vettori - for the next test match lets have a sporting pitch please!!

Iain, felt deeply sorry for you when you dropped that catch. As it turned out, it didn't matter at the end. Yuvraj would have stuck it out. So don't feel so bad. Looking forward to seeing you bowl at the Basin reserve - ciao.

oops, did i just drop the test!!!

Waiting for your day 5 blog. So how did you feel after dropping the match,, err, I mean, the catch.....

@ Paul - I tend to agree, but are they any different to our own rugby fans?

@ all the Indians who took offence at Pauls' comments, try taking off your eye-patches. ;) Read your comments and imagine they are from Aussies talking about a Aus-Ind match and you'll realise how many of you sound.
At least your TEAM are now showing the NZ team some respect.

Well batted India, Gambhir & VVS particularly. Did what needed to be done. Knowing the way NZ tend to implode on the 3rd or 4th innings, I was half expecting a chase of 150-200 and a tense finish. Oh well.

Shame about the game and catch mate, I'm a kiwi supporter and say bring on the next one!I must say you really need to tell the girls at the NZ Cricket office here in CHCH how us Kiwis can find your blog I am really enjoying it.

Sean: I second ur comment mate.
I like how u made Aussie fans as the benchmark.. u know ur cricket... lol

Iain: It was a very honest effort from u n ur team.. It may sound shallow (from an Indian fan) but you should b proud of ur effort...
Cheers

Dear Iain,

Its delightful to read your blog. One of the most interesting things I look forward in Cricinfo. My humble request to you, forget the catch and get on with the game.
But for God's sake don't keep on hitting Sachin on the same spot!!! :) Try to target somewhere else, its not a boxing match..We all love Sachin, so next time aim for the bat..ha ha ha.

All of you played a great match, and some times when the pitch is as dead as this one nobody can help. Anyways, your team did manage to get 14 Indian wickets!

I am a die hard Indian fan, so will always pray for an Indian series victory, but all the best to you and your excellent skipper.

There are some indians with very selective memories. Yes it was a poor decision but it was not the only one that occured in this series. Black Caps keep getting given out for not hitting the ball. As for Iain dropping Gambir how about Taylor being dropped while still in single figures? NZ were in control of this test match for most of it and were the only team with a chance of winning. As for our bowling attack lacking the ability to take 20 wickets in 3 days...how long did it take those godlike indians to take 9??? They would never have got 20 either

@Kiwis - You folks from home are going a bit hard on the boy from Petone. Give him a break. The drop catch could have happened to anybody. Just so you you know, it wasn't the match that he dropped. Gambhir hardly last much longer after that. So you should finding excuses for the draw and accept the guys hardwork throughout the tour.
@Sean - Us Indians never mean't any disrespect to your team. But maybe you should first look out at your own side. When your own legends pass comments like the home side is going to be in for a leather hunt or things like we are happy with a draw when they should have actually won the game by an innings, it doesn't exude much self-respect, does it? After all, no offense, but people only respect those who respect themselves.

NZ team is alright. better than most people think and so are the Indian fans.

Overall the series has been played in excellent spirit and great mutual respect between the teams. If India were following on 314 behind Australia, there would have been very dirty sledging, 5 times more appealing, and surely a lot of controversies, no matter what the result would have been.

The NZ team is a good young team and even though they couldn't win this test, full credit to them. Their inexperienced bowlers were against a batting line up with more than 100 centuries and nearly 200 half centuries among them. They could only wish Rahul Dravid didn't get some of his form back. A few months ago, Dravid was not lasting long and if he fell early in either innings in this test, NZ would have seen the face of victory. Gautam Gambhir played a great knock, but the experienced 3 players (Rahul, Sachin and Laxman) played well in both innings which is sort of expected of them.

Iain, well tried. Let's hope for a greener pitch in the 3rd test and a result.

That drop catch? Come on -- if you did that on day 4 second session the Indian fans owed you a few beers [sorry, just joking] but when it happened there wasn't much left in the game. Anyway Gautam got out soon after and that was practically nothing other than a silly moment. Yuvraj and Karthik should find themselves a lot more guilty for their drops on day 1 session 1 -- Taylor and Ryder scored so big. With those two catches NZ could have been 90/5 in the first session and they wouldn't have scored more than 350.

Mate, no doubt about the fact that your blogs are great. If only you would field as well as your blogs read, you'd be a complete champion. Hope vettori and ryder fail the fitness test on Friday.

Well the so called 'Tail' smashed 50 in 61 balls...
Great game... was really good to watch VVS, Gambhir, Yvi.. not to forget the 'Master and The Wall'.

Good luck for the next match.:) I'm cheering for you.

Come on Iain ! Looks like you're either very very upset over your last outing or have decided to spend time on practice instead of blogging. You should take courage from the fact that most of our fellow bloggers at Cricinfo, admire you as a talented fast bowler. I am from India & have also criticised you earlier for letting your shoulders droop after dropping a sitter from Gambhir. You need to dust yourself up, cheer up & get on with your game. I am no cricket expert, but trust me, you'll get far better results than what your statistics suggest, if you ONLY focus bowling into the corridor of uncertainty to the indians in the next match. Do not give them room outside offstump, do not bowl into their pads, but most importantly keep fighting inspite of things not going your way. And lastly, you could post your blog after the 5th day's play instead of daily updates during the test, we would still await your comments without any fuss. Cheer up mate !

Nice to understand the match from the player's point of view. thanks Iain

Ian Cheer up, we are with you ok? Loved reading your reports after every day. You are a celebrity in cricinfo and across the cricketing fraternity.

What gives a lot of you dropkicks the right to have a go at O'B over the dropped catch? It was a mistake that in all actuality would have little impact on a Test heading for a certain draw. I'm certain none of you have ever made mistakes huh...jog on. Weren't so many lippy Indian comments on here after day 3. Keep pinging em down Iain.

@Steve Perhaps you missed a few facts, brother. If you look at the percentages of the people damning Mr. O' Brien for the missed chance, you would see that a lot more support has come from the Indians than the Kiwis themselves. Go through the comments again and this time count how many what percentage of total Indian comments have held him guilty and what percentage of total Kiwi comments have held him guilty and you will get your answer. Maybe its just your frustration over the last two days and the fact that the bowling was pretty inert when NZ should have gone on and won the match by an innings is what prompted you to make the comment...quite understably though. Have a good day.