I like ur style of writing Ian.. Hope u get some rest after bowling your heart out..it is disheartening that u wont play in IPL this season .. al the best for your county stint

thats so very honest of you. Yesterday i commented about you being too biased and not appreciating the opponent, but your todays blog is very nice. Best of luck Brien.. Go for your first half century :)

Hard Luck, but as i wrote last time you have done well to just give 1 victory to India, as i dont see them wrapping it up tomorrow give the weather conditions. India wants to be No.1 and 1-0 is not reflecting that give that the decks were not so hard to bat and this is the best bowling combo in several years. All in all India is only 3 and NZ have earned respect and found new stars in Jesse, Guptill. Give them confidence, with BOND and TUFFEY back you can do even better. I only wish Jacob was around, that would have been fun.

Hai Iain, nice write up, i want you to come out and bat tommorow and beat your PB, but India should win it tommorow

Don't worry brian. Tomorrow you will definitely get a chance to bat and I bet you will improve on that 19 provided the rain god allows you to do so.

other than this i am a gr8 fan of this blog. U r simply awesome man. Keep up the good work.

I really enjoy reading your blogs. i appreciate you osting your thoughts inspite of tiring days at work

Lets hope the rains dont spoil a good final day of Test match cricket in the offing. Have a good rest and best wishes for the UK tour.

Best wishes to beat your earlier best in batting. NZ needs alot of such wishes to hope for a draw, unless weather helps.

Hi Iain.

Well played. One question:

1) Why is there an extra 'i' in ur name ? ?

Just wanted to apprise you that you share your birthday with Sunil Gavaskar. (also born 10 July)

Best of luck for the rest of the game.

Hi Lain...... It has been a treat for me reading yr blog daily whenever i log in thru cricinfo and today i agree with u as always in this blog that yuvi was slightly severe with yr bowling apart from that yr spell of overs was quite good today...... Anyways wish u all de very best for summer 09 @ UK!!!! Cheers!!!!!

I think NZ will manage to get a draw. Enjoy the break and rest, you so thoroughly deserve.

Its really nice reading and being a part of your blog. Well all the bset for your UK experience. I was just wondering were are the NZ swing bowlers? If you had a couple of swing bowlers I presume the series would have made a lot of difference. Not being harsh on anyone , I don't think Chris Martin and James Franklin are really upto the job , they do not have the sting they had in their bowling. Tomorrow is a tought day for NZ and India , NZ for drawing the test and India for winning the test match. The series was well fought and I think the series was lost not in the first test but some where during the second test match.

Well written. Interesting to know that there is so much of diet control when you are playing.

Great insider perspective Ian. Not many would admit to being thankful to being off the park and acknowledging a tough situation. I'd blogged on outsideedge.wordpress.com about Sehwag and Jesse being two important factors in this match and the early loss of Jesse puts a fair amount of pressure on Taylor. Here's hoping its cricket and not the weather that has the final say.

Cheers!

All the best, make a new career high with the bat tomorrow. Get into 20's. Well bowled this summer, and take a deserving rest.

very short article mate. But it understandable after this much days in the feild. Whatever bat well today and light might help you guys. Best of luck.

I think it is tougher to hang on trying for a draw,rather than to try and win. And with Zaheer and Bhajji doing the tricks, it is going to be a tough task for you all. I can feel your tiredness from your words. so take rest buddy. However much you may not want, you may still have to bat.

Thank u Ian for the prompt updates!! Quite an eventful day for the men in blue indeed, the highlight being Dravid's much awaited no:182!!A couple more w'd hv made it a perfect day for them.Hopefully Ian , U might get some much needed rest tomorrow if the middle order can hang around for some time but that is a big iffff!!!!

"I only have 19 to beat, but that's a lot of runs when you only average around 5."
this line made me a great fan of urs Ian..U rock and all the best for the coming seasons.

Hi Iain , I understand that you must be relieved to take off your bowling shoes at last.As for me, i hope you wear your batting shoes on as soon as possible tomorrow and come to the crease.Anyway the chances are now obsolete even for a draw,i guess.However, i hope you would have gained loads of experience in this series.Cheers mate.

Hey Ian, nice blog mate. Really enjoyed reading it everyday. Gives a nice perspective of the action from the 'inside'. Keep up the great work and inspire some of your other team-mates to do the same. I would love to see a Brendan Mccullum blog of the IPL. Also, perhaps you guys can start twittering now. That would absolutely fabulous to follow your micro-blogs. Good luck in England and hope to continue reading your blog..

Hi Iain, Nice blog again thanks for that, however as a Indian i would like to see your batting as early as posible tomoro :-) Hope you will not increase your average also :-)

Great effort buddy...u really looked like picking wickets from NZ..Others picked of tough luck...But Still east or west india is the best..

M hoping to see YA in IPL this season , r u hired?
Now u gotta say sometimes or write something speacial about indian player from ur feared corner of heart..like how u really felt bowling to sehwag , yuvi or sachin in the ODI's (will be more interesting :P)

Hey Iain, Its hard to digest the fact that it will take some more time for your upcoming blogs.Please do keep posting them as frequently as possible.This is a kind request from your true fan.All the best for tomorrow.please don't keep the Indians waiting for their already long awaited victory here.Cheers.

Hope you have learned a lot from this series !!! Have a HAPPY BREAK and BEST OF LUCK FOR YOUR FUTURE !!! Keep Posting mate...

Hey iain, yr blogs really kept us entertained thru the series....keep it up nd all the best for at least 300 to 400 wickets in yr career. Also do write a book sometime...with yr amazing ability to communicate it sd be a real cakewalk!

I hope to see you bat tommorow very soon. Maybe before the Lunch break.
India will wrap up this series & the match in the second session tommorow.
You can beat your PB 19...Actually you easily will!
Goodluck!

All the best for ur PB.I m sure u can. If Harbhajan can do it so can you.

Congratulations !! for scoring max runs in your career, I guess could not come at a better time and location.All the best Lain for your batting, nice to see you bowling nicely and gettin couple of wickets... I want to see India winning this test as they have done really well till now.

Only rain can save you from batting and back bruises.

Pray Long!!!

hai there Ian its good to read ur blog what i have noticed is u always complain about some or the other thing regarding ur bowling and bla bla bla doesn't it bother u so much r u like this in dressing room also if so then i advise u to not to do so as it will let the moral of the team down watch out mate and regarding this match i think u guys r safe now as what i feel tomorrow weather would the main player dominating u all so don't worry about batting tomorrow just enjoy and it was nice to see u guys play. take care now

Mr Iain O'Brien,
I am sure I am not the first one to write it :-).. I would happily take your used boots off you... I will be happy to keep them as souvenir from the one of the nicest cricketer of today (buttering may be)..
Anyway, well done on your bowling mate. yeah UV can play and when he hits them, he hits them very hard.. Ask Broad.. he will tell you all about it...
Good luck with the batting tomorrow. I hope that India wins tomorrow becoz there might be something for me in that.. So, I am praying for their win...
But yeah, good luck with future tours and keep wriitng.. you are awesome...

I'm a little concerned Iain that you often seem to go for multiple boundaries in one over. Yuvraj today, Sehwag in the Auckland ODI and so forth. It seems like when you get hit for the first boundary you get angry and kind of lose the plot about what you were meant to be doing. You dig it in a bit shorter and get slammed again, and so on, and so forth. I suggest it might be an idea to really clear your head after being hit for a boundary (it will happen, even Shane Warne went for 18,000 runs in test cricket) and refocus on the bigger picture.

Just a thought really. It's also interesting how you've managed to bowl both Dravid and Laxman when they're well set. That's some achievement.

Your blog is always interesting and informative. I enjoy it, and wishing you all the best to score your highest in case you are needed to bat tomorrow. Mostly, I think NZ will be saved by rain and bad light. Best wishes for the next season. Please keep on blogging even if there are no more matches in the near future. Cheers.

India will win. You will not draw. Daylight savings or no daylight savings. Rain or no rain. Simple reason: 41 years of pride to save. India will be ferocious in their attack tomorrow.A billion people are awaiting back home just for a win. And they cannot afford to disappoint. They do not see NZ. They only see a win. Just lean back and enjoy cricket at its best.
I am an Indian living in Nairobi. I wake up at 1 am every day to watch this bal-by-ball...have watched all matches. I took a couple of weeks jsut for this. And I am senior exec of a large British firm, not a crazed school kid. That tells you the weight of fans wishes on the Indian team to win.
Thanks for your blog. Enjoyed. Till we meet next time.
Ciao
George

Hi, you missed complete 7/7 of the indian top order wickets. you have not taken yuvraj's wicket on this tour. its an incomplete task for you.
any way, your bowling summer is over. take care of your fitness. keep blogging. we'll be waiting for your next blog

lolz :) all the best break ur PB :D and thankz for the blogs ;)

hi lain nice blog again its always good to hear from u about the match in yout blog.well hope tomorrow rain will come & you will save the game.besides that i dont see any other reason that india is not winning tomorrow. hard luck.

Tough job ahead dude. Pray that bad light or rain comes to rescue u guys. Otherwise, u will again be thrashed fair and wide.

I am sure somehow you guys or the whether (bad light / rain) will save the test. Good luck.

Iain

Well done ! Your writings appear to have come straight from your heart----and show the true apirit of the game. Very balanced, very frank and quite spontaneous and natural. That is the way to be---whether on the field of=r off it ! Keep it up ! YOu have a long future and you will do well. Meanwhile, good luck to India tomorrow---notwithstanding the daylight saving or the rain !

Best wishes to Danioel Vettori and all of your taem members---you have played in the best traditions of goodwill and freindly spirit thoughout the seires ! ON many occasions, at the end of a session, the Indian and NZ playeshave been seen on the screen, with arms over the shoulders, chatting away with smmles and cheer----that is the way to be ! YOu have all set examples to the lesser-behaved teams !

May God bless New Zealand, and India and the wornderful game of cricket!

O'Brein how do u think of Harbhajan in your mind?..This makes me a fan of yours.All the best for future.

O'Brein how do u think of Harbhajan in your mind?..This blog makes me a fan of yours.All the best for future.

your blogs r really good...

I love his blog.... I have been following it since the first test match..... The test match has become more interesting coz of ur blogging.... Keep rocking mate...

hi Ian,
gr8 fighting from Ross and Franklin, but i'm sure it's going to be a 100th test win for us....all the best mate!!!!

Hai Ian good blog. It is really a hard tour. I like your comments on the last para to beat personal score of 19 and better the average of 5.
I may looking for your blogs wherever or whichever team against playing. Goodluck ian.

No matter the outcome today, I thank you for taking time to post. As an Indian fan with limited cricketing knowledge I've found your posting very informative. What's better than getting a perspective from a players viewpoint? All we've had previously, was some sportswriter putting his/her spin on proceedings, now with your blog a whole new viewpoint without sportswriters leading questions. To the New Zealand team, you were wonderful hosts, true sportsmen who didn't have to resort to sledging - unlike your neighboring country. Ian, rest up and much success in England.

Good luck mate, you and your team need it.
So that fried chicken was it from KFC????

Good Luck tomorrow.....Ian..I reckon only weather can save you....and i hope that you get your PB

Hi O'brian,

Nice to be the first one to post in ur blog! Well, all I can say is best of luck.., n pray for rain coz it's very likely that Bhajji and Zaheer will run thru New Zealand batting order tomorrow :-)

well done on your performance. play well and get into IPL soon. we would love to see you in India in next IPL.
and of course, in this match, bat from lunch to tea, get your highest score and then you can get out and give another win to India ;-)

Hope you enjoyed the Chicken..All the best to regain your weight......dont get too much weight like Ryder :-)

Hello,

Thanks for your thoughts and insight into the game. I can see why you are looking forward to the well earned rest. Series is over (almost) and the better team has won. Look forward to many such victories for India. They (we) have done well for the past few years particularly in the last year.

A good professional outfit is what India is shaping out to be. Newzealand played well and tried to come hard at India. Best of all the game was played in good spirit unlike the Aussies who are sore losers. Please continue to play with the same positive spirit. Good luck with your schedule for the year

In this tour India showed they are now one of the best team in the world.

Thanks Iain for your blogs throughout the summer. For any cricket crazy fan, it is like a dream reading to a cricket after each day's of play in his own words.

The spirit in which this series is played is something which is becoming rare now a days. Well-done both the teams.

Finally, wish you all the best for your county stint and hoping to read from you from UK as well.

Its amazing the way you write. I mean its very tough to put down ones thoughts into words. You do it and after all the day's hard work. Nice to read your posts everytime. Keep Blogging and all the best for your international career!!

Its going to be difficult for you guys to save this test against the formidable indian bowling line up. You guys should try and put a fight and hopefully rain is predicted t'row which only can save the match for you. Hoping to see you fighting for a draw t'row.. All the best Lain...

NZ has a very week Top 3 which has not produced decent scores throughout the series.The line up after that has some significant contribution in the series. If some how NZ can find a stable top three they can have more matches going there way. Even the bowling is struggling a bit, may be inclusion of Bond might change the fortunes. Martin, Bond, O'Brien and Vettori, man what a good combination that could be.

Good luck for tommorow Ian, hope you get to beat your PB. because if you get to bat that means india is very close to winning :p. Anyway good Luck to you in England, Maybe you can improve your skills there as a bowler and Batsmen and come back as a much better player, and we hope to see you in IPL soon as well maybe next year some one snaps you up as well. Hopefully Delhi - i am a delhi daredevil fan. Wish Dan all the luck in IPL from me :)

you write so honestly Brien. Ya you guys have to fight hard to take the match to draw. Indians have done that in Napier so might be its your turn now.I am looking for fantastic day of cricket tomorrow either its a hard fought draw by NewZealand or win by Indians.

I'm sure you're please to see the end of this series. Apart from all the action, gonna miss ur blog too. it added to making this series a unique one (apart from an indian victory). will wait eagerly for the last one after the final days play. Ciao!

That NZ are hanging out for a draw at Wellington; which should have been the venue most suited to them says the story of the series. difficult task tomorrow to save the match. was fascinating to read a day to day account from an international cricketer. Keep the good work going mate!

Nice blog dude! But it would b interesting if ud mention about d way harbhajan is bowling

Hi Iain,

I am a regular reader of your blogs...since India's tour...

I think you have well documented the on and off field info. to readers across the world.

Hats off to you for being such a true and balanced blogger. Hope you will have a good county season ahead.

Cheers,
Pawan

Iain,
Nice blogs, In fact while reading these blog i do feel as if i was on field, dressing room and sharing the fried chicken with you guys. And it would have been really interesting to watch you coming out to bat after the heavy meal if NZ lost 8 quick wickets :)
And you did bowl your heart out in the pitch, Wicket of VVS, am sure you will never forget that ball in your life. It was a Gem...
All the best in the future.

"I only have 19 to beat, but that's a lot of runs when you only average around 5."

another one of your in-your-face honest comments,
liked that mate !

Why is it that u always speak about yourself and hardly refer to the teams position anyways regarding this match only rain or a miracle can save new zealand congratulations to dravid

Hey Iain,
You are a very talented bowler. Don't get depressed by this test series.If you can keep up the spirit and you get able support from Shane Bond (if hez allowerd to play), then you can have a nice bowling partnership.
I think you were unlucky to miss out on a lot of wickets in this test series! Buck up!

your blogs have been very interesting. Thanks a lot mate! now go get some good sleep. :)

Iain - I have loved reading your blog, just as much as I've enjoyed the cricket that has been played over the summer. Great work and thanks for all the entertainment. Cheers...

Always NZ are very tough in their home matches.But this time INDIA proves that they are very strong now even in NZ. This shows the temperment of team india.we have to be very clear that Mr.Obrien has been a good findout for the NZ.If he would be grommed then NZ will be free with their bowling part with MARTIN,JACOB ORAM,OBRIEN,etc..,

Hey Iain, good luck dude, I love your posts; it's a good way to know that even an international class player is still human with worries and pride. Keep it up man!

McCullam's ready for the show, captain's in good form too..if taylor can put up an extended show tomorrow with a bit of luck on NZ side,then draw is possible..So the factors for draw are:
1.Taylor and franklin hanging on at least till lunch
2.Partneship between McCullam and Vittori of 40 odd overs
3.Southee and You put up a lifetime show for 20 odd overs (no hope from martin)
4.LUCK as Rain interrupting game any time of day or evening.
Be prepared for the final frontier..best of luck guys

I love reading your blog Iain, it totally makes my day!

Enjoy the fried chicken, and here's hoping you guys pull of something spectacular tomorrow.

Have a lemon tea affter all that fried chicken.. Believe me it helps :) Tough luck on this tour mate..But you have really bowled your heart out.. The ball you got laxman bowled was a real beauty!! And hats off to you for finding time after all the gruelling schedules you guys have to follow. It was a real pleasure following your blog and get an inside view of things.Some tiems we tend to forget that its people who are playing this game!! All the best for the remainder of the year!!

It was really a good series to follow - esp here in India. What more can you ask? " the top order getting runs,the bowlers hitting the right areas, good TV coverage, a fighting opposition,series win!" Your blog is nice and writings are honest with no flamboyance. keep going. Play great cricket in UK and keep writing.

It's been pleasure reading your Blog Iain. Best wishes for you to improve upon your PB when you bat. And of course for Indian Win. How bout your first 50 and Indian win ? :)

Hey Ian , its really nice to read your blog...to know what a cricketer goes through after a tough day..keep it up man..

I thought you could put up your boots for your charity auction. Throwing them away ? They could fetch a good price today and who has seen tomorrow ?

Instead of throwing ur shoes in the dustbin, u cud have given it to me… I cud have put it in ebay and made some money yaar :-)

Iain in Your Next Article Please Do Write How Do You Feel Like Bowling TO Each One Of The Indian Batsman During the Entire Tour.Please Do Briefly Summarize This Entire Tour as well.I Do Feel Series would have been much closer had you guyz have ICL players in your rank.Though at present in have no doubt which side is better.

Good blog Iain, but you are sounding as though like bowling has been forced upon you. You will start achieving greater peaks once you start loving to bowl. Cheers

Hi Ian, Hope that rain stay away tomorrow so that we can see the interesting final moments of this test series. I am not too sure about the day light saving schemes, but at this moment the whole idea looks so awful. One can make changes to the clock to what ever time overnight, but the day light will remain the same next day for the reason that SUN is not informed about these foolish things happening on earth :-) I hope that you get a chance to bat tomorrow, beat your PB, but still an India win and 2-0 score card ;)

You sir, will make a great commentator the day you decide to hang your boots. The 1-2-3 catch joke was really good as was the jab at self-deprecating humor in the final lines. Do keep an eye out for major Indian sports broadcasters when you're done donning Blacks and Whites.

Hi Iain,

Best of luck for the new season.
According to me you did a good job this year and hope you will rock in the next season.
It seems that your team will be struggling to save this test match. But there are lots of positive outcomes for your team from this series.
Especially you and Jesse Ryder. Also McCullum did a great job as well.
Looking forward to your more bolgs in future.

Best Regards,
Ranjeet

OMG!! Am I the first to comment !! .. Nice Blog .. Would have been nicer if u have posted your personal experiences off the field with greats sucj as Sachin , Dravid etc

Thanks for the honest blogs Iain..thoroughly enjoyed them (not to forget the honest efforts you put in your bowling during match days). Good luck to both your bowling and blogging :)

One feedback though - it would be kinda nice if you blog even when NZ are down. Your day 1 blog was very optimistic talking about how you wanted to put your feet up and watch your mates bat all day on day 2. Didnt happen that way on day 2 and your blog went missing! When you reappeared on day 3, there was no mention of day 2..why mate? It is ok to commit mistakes and once in a while (even the greatest writers have been made to eat their own words), but be man enough to accept it and agree that your opponent played better cricket on a given day. Would make people respect you even more..

Well that said, You are a great trier and competitor on the field, always giving your best shot for your team. All the best for the future mate. God bless you.

Hi Iain, one more good story from you friend; well done. As I said in my response to an earlier entry of yours, your writing and bowling are catching up on one another. The VVS delivery was a beauty.

BTW, have you clocked your 1,000,000 hit yet?

Good luck to you for both: bettering your batting average of 5 tomorrow and on the Million-th view-hit soon. (PS: Does Cricinfo follow the google rule?)

It will be a virtual victory for NZ if they bat for whole day tomorrow and draw this match just like India did in last match.

Another great blog. Put your feet up iain, you've bowled fantastic and you deserve a good long break buddy

You're a very modest man Iain. I guess it's coz you're not a cricketer in the sub-continent.

This is the best blog i have seen - written very objectively considering it comes from a player.

I love chicken! Can you share some with me.
My name is Iain O'Brien.

hello Iain, nice fight back from your team. we all expect a thrilling end to this test series.but you have improved a lot as a cricketer.waiting for rossco n jesse to bat in IPL this year n what about you? which team are you interested to join? all the best. do well

Hie IAN..Nice to know a player's perspective of the match and its surroundings.we think we r in the game too..U all fought well,bt someone has to loose n other to win..U have great carreer ahead..Just play with confidence n love the game..U will succeed..
N one thing to say..just dont stop blogging at any cost..we all love to know players..n upcoming players like u is a great assest

good luck for tom mate!!!!
weather permeting, it should be a good contest...

My odds

Ind Win - 10%
Draw - 90%
Don't worry of batting tomorrow Iain.

Dhoni is a good captain unless it rains.
Last year in a test match against england in mohali,Dhoni declared late and that made england escape with a draw.That match was badly affected by fog.

I hope for ur sake that Dhoni's mind faulters.

Ok, so here we come to the last day. It was a priviledge hearing from you Iain. You can seriously think of a career in writing post retirement. Anyway, looking forward to a splendid fight tomm. although I know eventually it would be bit too much for you guys to save this one, maybe rain and bad light would be the final helping hand.............

Well Mr. O'Brien you already have a second carrier once you decide to retire..... A writer.

When I read your blog, I feel you never let me stop at any point ... flawless writing. I am glad you have a great respect for other teams.

There is one thing common between you and a Bollywood Superstar named Amitabh Bachchan.... Still have time to write a blog daily after very busy schedule.

My best wishes for your first 50 tomorrow -- Starting point :-)
However you have to rush … play like one day game …. Before you run out partner……
Looks like India is heading for another win tomorrow…

groovy stuff today. i like chicken as well. why does everybody do those weird smileys?

Hi lain, thanks for your nice article. All the Best..! See you then,

well lain,kiwi tailenders need to be given extra lessons in their batting,if the first 5 wickets r taken early,the tailenders hardly fight back.so all through this series its been like this if india managed to get the first 5 wickets quite early,then u guys r in trouble....improve u r batting guys....as far is fielding is concerned,u guys r just amazing,Guptill has been an outstanding fielder for u r side and ross has been amazing in thge slips.

Hello, I started reading your blogs recently onlym, i mean since the 2nd test in this tour. I have been a great fan of NZ cricket team, because i like many players since last 20years, whenever there is a cricket match involving NZ i always support NZ to win, many times even when you are playing india( i am an indian cricket fan)All nz players look soft natured and true and sincere to the sport. Even though i have read sometimes some players are tough characters. But when i read your blogs i feel my perception is correct. You play the sport in good spirit. i like your team when you beat AUS and you do it many times as well.
best of luck in your career
cheers

indias going to win no doubt about that. there no.3 in world ranking what else do u expect from them.

congraz to dravid and tough luck new zealand

good blog lian.. really wonderful to read ur fair comments and views on the game.. i just love this section of site and very keen to have a look at the blog.. thnx

Liked your ball to laxman yesterday!!!(even being an Indian ) :)
But I doubt if you can save the test tomorrow unless rain gods help you.

Hi there Iain. Well I can see lack of confidence in your thoughts. I feel that Brendon Mcullum will play the KIWI version go the "Great Wall" tomorrow and will stand a threat to the Indians winning the match and ending it in a draw. But that's ok for me because my fellow country men would have already won the series by then.

I am also sure that you will have to bat tomorrow. What about getting your first test fifty batting along with Mr. Mc Cullum?
If the KIWIs fight it out for a draw tomorrow, I am ready to give you a fried chicken party!!! How about that?!!!
Failure will never overtake you if your determination to suceed is strong enough.

Wishing you and your team all the very best for tomorrow.

Tomorrow's gonna make ot 2-nil for India if the Rain gods don't intervene. . . But wat a terrible declaration by MSD ...he was atleast a 100 runs late....Dunno wat was goin through his mind...it wasn't as if a batsman was abt to reach a hundred or something... nyways, mate, u can perhaps get some tips from Franky, he seems to be quite a handy batsman ... hit Bhajji for 2-3 fours today... not bad at all..

To the readers: His name is Iain O'Brien not Liam. Somebody makes this mistake commenting on every blog post.
Good luck with Leicestershire it is well deserved contract after all your recent success with the Black Caps.

Thanks for your blog Iain, I really enjoyed it through out the series.

hi, lain,i become your great fan after this series.you have lot of talent with you.you can evoke anytime. though i support india,i wish you could break your PB,lets see who is best tomorrow??

HARD LUCK 4r dis test
but u guy try urs best.....

Hi dude... This is for the first time i am reading your blog.. could not resist myself reading it twice... you have a nice sense of humour and nice language to express your views in an interesting way. Someday you wil have to stop play and Iam looking forward for that time to come because you could be very entertaining as a full time columinist/commentator. cheers dude.. all the best.

Very nice blog mate.this whole tour has been fantastic,watching cricket and reading your blogs.It's been a good series.I am expecting to see u in action in IPL soon.

Good luck for batting man tomorrow. Am sure by God's grace you will do well. Hope that you will make a half century.

Very nice blog mate.this whole tour has been fantastic,watching cricket and reading your blogs.It's been a good series.I am expecting to see u in action in IPL soon.

Iain, I must thank you for your efforts to communicate to us through this blog. I read this regularly and have found it very insightful and again I thank you for taking the time to do this.

Iain

Nice bloging. I enjoyed it.
Actually this series clearly belong to India. NZ never looked like they are going to win. Thats partly because NZ lost some quality players like Tuffy and Bond. If both of them around, That would give NZ a good chance. NZ batting lineup is really struggling too. I dont know why they keep relying on Flynn and Mcintosh, when they have Bazz and Ryder in the middle. Why Danny didnt bring one of them at the top. A Big question mark

Hi Iain

I think it is wonderful that you post your thoughts after each day. Incidentally I have a feeling the day light saving issue is due to the television timing of cricket broadcasting in India. It makes no sense otherwise as to why India would not take up the offer from Moles to start an hour earlier. An hour earlier however means 5AM in India instead of a more respectable 6AM.

Well good luck with tomorrow

Luke

I think it must take some mental energy after days of long bowling/fielding spells,to be able to blog away like you do.Whats commendable is the sense of reason remains intact after wht definitely must be frustrating periods of play.I think If you develop a little more,you and hane Bond ,should he return,could make a pretty lethal opening pair.I think you;re more than a stock bowler and a pretty good writer.

Thanks Iain, for your blog. This has been a great experience for everyone of us to hear and read the words from a person who has been with gr8s like sachin dravid and laxman on the field... Am sure you are overwhelemed with their presence on the field as much as we do, even today, watching them on TV. Please do share your personal experiences watching them play.I know you must have answered this to all those reporters every now and then but it would be nice if you can share them on your blog..
n e ways, I am really thrilled for tomorrow. No matter what happens on the field tomorrow, this series has been a good fought and entertained series by both sides.. I wish you good luck and good year ahead.
Oh BTW.. Good luck with the Fried Chicken...
anyways good luck once again and thank you..

Hay,dude you have been such a nice blogger!Its been pleasure reading your blogs throught these fantastic summer!!Hope to read your blogs from UK and have a great time in UK.

Hi Iain you have done a great job by putting in your experience on the field in this blog all through this series. Play well tomorrow. Cheers

The only bowler I like the most in NZ after Bond is O'Brien. Whatever the result tomorrow, my wishes are always with you. Cheers mate.

The only bowler I like the most in NZ after Bond is O'Brien. Whatever the result tomorrow, my wishes are always with you. Cheers mate.

Iain, somehow I feel, tomorrow its going to be India's day.But my wish is always with you, hope to see some more hits from your bat. all the best.

Hi Ian,

I have become a great fan of yours, i really like your blogs. i would wish you and your team all the best for 5th days play. I would like you to play for IPL so that we can have your services. I am really a fan of NZ because of its tourist destination. If i visit NZ would like to watch a cricket match and would love to meet you. Thanks for your posts in cricinfo. It really helps to know the cricketers mindset.

Please concentrate on the match and not the blog!

Hi Iain,

Great blog, thanks for sharing with us.
@ Everyone posting regarding chances of an Indian win, why he doesn't talk about the team, the Indian players - There are dozens of blogs out there that analyse match situations, talk about players from a media/fan perspective. This is the only one I know of that gives us an insight into a player and his character and his feelings during a match. That's it's uniqueness and he should keep it that way.

Iain, it's really tough to put all your feelings and thoughts and pride and worries out there without coming across as falsely modest or pompous and self-centered. You do a great job of walking that line. Look forward to much more blogging...

(and I have to agree, don't chuck your boots- auction them on ebay for charity!- aren't they the ones you got your 50th wicket in?)

hi iain it the 5th day and time to nz to bat out for a draw if failed a victory to india u did improve well in this test but ur teambatters miseraly fialed this time apart from rosso dan should stand up and boost some confidence to thetp order to play naturally and attacking criket ....well IND will win if given a sneak beare of Turbanator

Good luck ian i hope your team doesn't put in a real fight because i hope to wake up tomorrow at about 8 o'clock(i am a bit lazy) and see that india have all ready won.
And by the way good luck in you life and your bowling (not you batting as i want you to lose).

All the very best to you, of course not the team, i obviously want you to loose..

Ian, I saw the way you bowled, you did an awesome job. The ball bowled to VVS was the best.Hope you guys can save the match to protect the pride.

Vasan

Make it a Memorable day 2morrow with bat for kiwiz
......anyhow....it's goin 2 be a historic win 4 Indianz...Don't let it with Ease...........Believe 2 unfold some character that is hidden right now in ur side.....Cheers !!.....Do Well dude

Good read that - chicken fried! You could ask Bhaji the Dude to take you to a Punjabi "Dhaba" in Kiwiland and feed you some chicken tikka butter masala.. that'll make sure all your lost weight rushes in in no time (Look at BHajji, does he look like he holds back?!! Ha) ... we here in India feel for your Cricket Team.. genuine, hard-working athletes and pro blokes who give it their all.. (Thank God - maybe you guys could help the likes of Mohd Asif on this)... I think about 30 overs max should be enough tomorrow.

Now for the Obit:

Here perished the heroic eleven from Aotearoa. In the face of scything butchers, buccanneering pirates, smiling willow-wielders and leather-pitching assasins... Through Feb/March/April 2009, the eleven never shirked - were just fine. Rise they will from these ashes - and find how to conquer the world, led by their bespectacled leader, who thinks and therefore can be.

In fond Memory of a Kiwi team that is graceful in defeat.

Amen.

Hey, Good luck to you...it's been wonderful reading your blog...and hope NZ had enjoyable summer with good show by both IND & NZ players...It is my personal opinion that NZ could have utilized some of the other players from it's talent pool...It would have been more tougher for the experienced Indian team to get these results...Anyways, Good Luck to you guys...I became a fan of you after reading your blogs and getting what a sportsperson feels...It's all fun and thank you for that!!! Hope you won't bat tomorrow and I expect NZ to play with their full potential to gain more confidence and give some entertainment to local audience...

Hi O'Brein Good Luck tommorrow for your thoughts and dont worry rain will help and play natural game so that NZ can save game.

I was pretty mad at you for getting my home town Hyderabadi gem VVS Lakshman out but it was a superb delivery worth admiring. Keep blogging it was great to read your blog which gave a true picture of events on ground unlike some sports columns and commentrators which makes no sense. Like one yesterday where commentrator was describing a player..Tall batsmen with looong legs. I dint see a Tall player with short legs, did you?

it is always great to here from players and fascinating to read there thoughts from there point of view. It is great that players take time to post these blogs, even though im an Indian fan,well done

Great reading your blog all through this series Iain. And don't feel too bad about Yuvraj. Call Stuart Broad if you must. He can provide perspective. And good luck with the bat tomorrow. You could turn out to be the hero for NZ.

hi dude
nice blog man u can surely make good writer.how is it hanging out with ryder.i mean it must be awesome i know it cause even my best friend is a borderline alcoholic the things they say...

You the man, i like the way you write in this blog right from the start of the series. All the best for your tommorrow's play.

hi dude
nice blog man u can surely make good writer.how is it hanging out with ryder.i mean it must be awesome i know it cause even my best friend is a borderline alcoholic the things they say...

gr8 to read your blog in the entire series. Hope you get your PB, however with India still win.

Iain... bad time you guys have... afraid you will go 2-0 in series..you did well with ball but batsmen failed to capatilzed, Flynn, Guptil McIntosh hardly made any contribution...anyhow Taylor is at crease and McCullum can change picture but chances are very limited.I wish you you would bat and make some score to end this test in your favour..

Hi O'Brien it was a nice and honest blog from you. As tomorrow will be the end of the season, you will get some relaxing time. In the meanwhile you can reflect what NewZealand achieved and how it can be improved. Well star studded India was far superior throughout the serious but your team can look at some positives. Best of luck.

mmmm... now i feel like eating fried chicken..

i want to see you in IPL you are verygood with new ball.kiwis are good cricketer,you and ryder are awesome,all the best

Hi Dude,
Wonderfull blog, This tour has been wonderfull so far. NZ has discovered a new test cricketer Jessey Ryder. I loved the way he batted. India is about to end a 40+ year drought of a series win in NZ. NZ cricket crowd has been wonderfull throught out this series. We thank you for the great entertainment. I hope NZ player have learnt some thing from the from the greats of the cricket Sachin,Rahul and Laxman. I wish all the best to you and NZ team for the future.

Hi Ian,
Applauds to the write in YOU. Its time to forget everything and get going.. do some thing which is not routine ... :) And keep up ur bowling.. And i wonder, as a bolwer is that much difficult to hit the same spot again and again, atleast 3-4 times in an over. Please keep it in mind and one day you will be the most talked about bowler in the world. Not the pace, the line and length are important . I dnt know whether I am right r wrong, when ever i saw you on screen, You will be like charging into the stups like a BUll in spanish bull fight forgettign the target where it is. Please keep hitting good spots and wickets will be urs. Keep smiling and posting.. Take care and have a nice summer with fun......

I've enjoyed reading your blogs. You opinions are unbiased. You respect talent both on and off the field. Best of luck for your county season. I'm sure your would be able to score more than your PB if you get a chance to bat tomorrow.

I am a keen reader of your column and it will be disappointing when u hang up the boots for the summer and we'll not get to read ur column.
It has been a great series from India's point of view, where they created history of sorts. Starting with consecutive loses in the T20, it was reminiscent of the earlier tours but this Indian team did show tremendous resilience to come back and win the one day series and lead the test series 1-0.
New Zealand did put up the fight but failed to exploit the home conditions. All in all it has been a very interesting series.
Wishing Iain all the best in England.
Vinod Nair

As I said....Keep blogging mate. It was a nice season of cricket....phew I can feel what you all must be feeling by now...do enjoy your trip in UK and have fun. Do let us know if you will be blogging anywhere else after this cricket season.

Hi Dude
You are always my favorite, the only key to your success is to bowl slower ones (mix deliveries, may be sometimes 110 kmph on fuller length) and keep the batsman always on a guess. Also it is all about patience in a test match.

O'Brian,
Thank you for your blog. I think New Zealand lost the upper hand in this match on day one when they allowed Indians to score 150 runs after 206 for 6. I could not understand why Ryder did not bowl. Anyway, I think You have done a great job with blogs and your bowling. Indians can be proud for their performances considering their team is from a country of 1.1 billion while New Zealand has what... less than 10 million people. To have so many quality players in a small country is remarkable. Great job!

Hi dude,

I have been following your posts from the start of this tour and I should admit all of them kept me interested. I like your way of writing post good work keep going....

Yo Iain, great blog this time around. Perhaps the best blog that you have done after a long long time. You are more realistic this time around, gave us some dressing room and in match snippets as well as the action on the field. The shining factor of this blog has been the spirit wherein perhaps for the first time you gave credit to the opposition for what they are. I was going to ask you how it felt to be flogged by the "tail" twice in this match but I changed my mind for the things above.
Take a good deserving rest. This match is a sealed draw for the NZ team due to the forecast which ensures that atleast one and a half session is going to be washed out. At the most only two and a half hours worth of play is possible and I am sure NZ can cope with that to save a match. Have a good days rest.

I think u r a very good bowler
do u recognize me i am the guy with the whiteboard
ur slower balls are amazing and i think u should bowl them often to the opposition.

Hi Iain,

Your blogs are a great insight to what goes on in a cricketer's mind especially when things are not going too well. But I think even though the result may not be good from your viewpoint, the effort is commendable.

Good Luck on your PB & look forward to reading more of your blogs.

Cheers

hi Iain, This series is probably the last one that Sachin Tendulkar is playing in the NZ. We have witnessed two good innings from him in two different formats of Cricket this series. Can you just post your comments on how is it to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar when he is on song. What is the feeling as a bowler when you run up to him at say 60+! Would you feel threatened?

Steer clear of that fried chicken in England Iain.....

A tough hour or so yesterday morning, but thats all out of the way now so put your feet up and try to take your mind off it! Another very interesting and down to earth blog, best of luck with the bat in hand today! Just a quick question though, will you be blogging about your county cricket experiences?

Nice Blog !
Great that you have the patience to write after a hard day at work ...Keep it up !

Hi Ian
Good work guys fight hard hey!
I was wondring why was not Jeet given another chance in Wellington because he had done wonderful job in Napier taking top wickets.

And keep up good work on blog
CHeers

All the best dude for tomm play.

Nice Blog. I wish you you played in the IPL.

"I only have 19 to beat, but that's a lot of runs when you only average around 5"

That a very humble but great quote....i'm pleased by your honest gesture .......at least for this I wish you hit a ton :)......:)

By the way....send me you boots....shall save it for the next tour.

Good luck mate !! I suggest you take a typical indian tandoori chicken instead of fried chicken !! lot of nerves buddy !!

Good luck always !!

Obee, Im wondering that you got so many fans thru this blog.. (of course me too).. but now Im worrying that whether you will see my comments or not.. fine.. whatever i want to say, its all been expressed by my beloved brothers across the world.. so what more to say other than "ALL THE BEST" for your future UK session. If possible post your message to my email Id. Catch you over the mail obee.. (stumps for me)

Congratulations on the * next to your highest score

Wishing you the very best Iain and it was a very nice writeup

can someone tel me who the player of the series is????????

Hi Iain..
first of all a very congo for drawing the game...
Its nice to c u on the blog...but i m afraid there is no newzeland supporter to write here...i m so deppressed to see Cricket's status in NZ bring an india...
Pls lift the game there...and all the best for future...

hi Iai,
you were really consistent in your bowling through out the series,i am really surprised that you are 32 man but any how nice blog and you are honest about your game and talk thats what i like about this blog hope to see some more good stuff comming from you
get some good rest hope you do well in future

Well written Iain, throughout the series. After this test match, NZ will think twice to put that kinda line up to bat first and India will never think of giving 600+ target(Especially in NZ).

ian..

first of all i really luv da way u write ur blog after such tiredness..another thing is tat i really luv da way u ball..buddy i fell u guyz bowled vey well against one of da worlds best batting lineup...u were pretty close 2 victory at napier but hard luck...ian i wish u would hav played in IPL but newayz keep da gud work goin and wish u best of luck for u r county stint and word t20 in england..........

The rain dance worked!!!!....maybe you guys can help those regions of the world which have very little or no rainfall...:)

All the best for your next assignment mate..

i predicted yesterday it'd be a draw! Note to myself - upgrade my name to 'Wizard Boy'

Thanks for making the Indian tour to NZ so interesting with your blogs. Great cricket & I enjoyed watching every beat of it.

hi Iain

Or should that be Lain judging by some of the previous comments :) Shame the rain stopped you getting past your personal best of (Paul Hardcastle style) ne ne ne ne 19, 19.

Please keep up the good communication work both with blogging and in signing autographs at games, much appreciated. It must be pretty daunting having a crowd of kids (well other than me!) seeking your autograph when you head down to fine leg, and you were happy to provide signatures whilst looking over your shoulder to see where your fellow bowler was.

I reckon cricinfo should introduce an autographs per delivery strike rate, as I noticed Ishant Shirma and Munef Patel [hope I have spelled those correctly for Indians reading this blog...] were mobbed at the Basin this weekend, and had developed a technique of using the first pen to sign N bats before the next delivery.

Was my first experience of autograph hunting at a ripe old age of 37, players... not all the autograph hunters are kids :)

Cheers

G

Thanks for making the Indian tour to NZ so interesting with your blogs. Great cricket & I enjoyed watching every beat of it.

Hey Iain

Well played this series! It was played in fantastic spirit. That, more than anything else matters.

I hope you enjoy your break. Please, do keep blogging. We would love to hear what you're up to, generally. Take care :)

Iain, I hope the end of summer cricket is not the end of your stint as a cricinfo blogger.

I would love to see you continue to write this blog. It is refreshing to see the perspective of an actual player (and a very good one at that) after the usual blathering of sports pundits.

Please continue to write about your life, your training and preparations and the Cricket in general. I know I will be reading.

Iain, nice blog and thanks for finding time to post inspite of a tough summer. Good luck for your county season. Now that that series is over, would be nice to hear what were new Zealands strategies prior to the series, what worked and what did not

I was a big fan of NZ team I really liked watching Astle, tuffy, bond, fleming, styris in team but after that I think it will take years to become a competitive team for NZ
India was not playing with its full strength and still they defeated home team badly so like zimbabwe and kenya I think NZ have to work harder than do
except vittory they have no bowler who can do well and in batsmen no one is capable to play a long inning even of 50 -50
they are all 20 -20 players so I would like to watch them in IPL
hope NZ team will learn fast before WC so we can see an Improved team

Exceptional blog!!! Keep it up!