Nice bowling mate.... but hard luck as you missed some edges an also wickets.... all d best for tomo sessions mate............

its always a nice chance to comment ur blog first.
nice bowling and congrats..

Iain..Nice Blog Mate! Although I would like to mention that in your Blogs, you almost always write about you, your team's performance but not much about the Batting or Bowling of the Indians.This match seems to be very nicely balanced, after see- saw battle during the day

Congrats Ian..

and good luck for rest of match.

I am sure 375 wud be a tough one to chase..and who knows..may be Ishant helps to get past 400.

great contest!!

Hey..... Congrats for your 50 wicket hault dear. Would like to see to doubling the number soon. Keep the good work mate, Our(from all your fans) best wishes for the same.
Regards
Sachin M

Well done!!! Brien. All the best for your tomorrow game. you may need to bat tomo. Learn the skills from ur fellow oppenent tail enders about batting. Zaki and bhaji was slogging all over. All the best dude.

well first of all congrats for 50 wickets......well done mate

about match well upper hand is with INDIA I think.....but you never know

All the best for tomorrow and keep writing

Congrats man. Hope you will have more 50's like this..keep goinggg

Good One Iain, All the best for your 50 wickets, but beware you might just not get the rest coming.. the tail keeps on wagging around and dany might just be thinking of opening with you in the NZ innings.. you never know and you might just get your first hundred before 50th test wicket... Go on Iain get it.. am supporting you for the same...

Good One Iain, All the best for your 50 wickets, but beware you might just not get the rest coming.. the tail keeps on wagging around and dany might just be thinking of opening with you in the NZ innings.. you never know and you might just get your first hundred before 50th test wicket... Go on Iain get it.. am supporting you for the same...

Congrats mate for getting 50 test wickets......

u bowled well.

Congrats on 50 wickets mate. Richly deserved, although your potential should take you much higher.

A good day at the office for you guys. While not a bad day for the visitors, the match is poised interestingly. With days 2 and 3 usually great for batting, NZ are in with a great chance to level the series. May the better team prevail!

What do you think about Sachin's batting??
For me, he's playing some unbelievable cricket and the way he makes tough shots look easy are simply awesome. Should have got 4 hundreds i.s.o. of 1 but anyway this is the Sachin all of India likes to watch. Hope he finishes the tour with a hundred.

Congrats on 50!! May there be many more to come :)

What do you think about Sachin's batting??
For me, he's playing some unbelievable cricket and the way he makes tough shots look easy are simply awesome. Should have got 4 hundreds i.s.o. of 1 but anyway this is the Sachin all of India likes to watch. Hope he finishes the tour with a hundred.

you guys were in the field for 360 odd overs. Well played though ! I'm afaraid those 70-80 runs by the tail will come back to haunt NZ.

All the Best .

hopeless bowler

Hey Iain,
Congrats for your hard earned 50 wickets, which is a great start for a flourishing cricketing career.
It always feels good to read your blogs on the day's proceedings and to know what exactly goes through on the field from the horse's mouth.
I think this was your best bowling day in the series as far as wickets and run containment went and you really put the batsmen in a spot of bother quite a few times and although I am an avid Indian team fan, I appreciate your bowling today and was looking forward to you bowling after Southee was being given the ODI treatment (sadly) and you did respond really well by drying up the runs and getting the man on rockets (Sehwag).
Hopefully we can score few more runs to go past 400 and have an entertaining and surprised filled day tomorrow.
All the best for your 51st. Cheers

I think Indian tail have done well to get on top. Even they get all out early morning, it would be tough task for New Zealand batsmen to face Indian chin music. If Indians get past 400 mark, task would be even more difficult for New Zealanders.

hey O'B!
first up congratz on your 50! i think u guys really missed jeet 2day, with Dan getting it tough to fills his wicket's column. Hope you guys wrap it up soon and wish we can watch Ross & Jesse bat again !!!

But what abt 375 Runs scored today dude ,
i am sensing that as now dhoni is back .. i is surely going to win this test match...
i am die hard indian fan...

Congratulations on getting 50 wickets! Keep up the good work. Hope you get many more.

congrats on your 50th wicket.

"One ball left, I bounce him, gloved through to Baz and obviously I'm pretty happy."

You make it sound pretty matter-of-fact, you lucky b. That ball was headed for another 4, but Brendan saved the day with a nifty catch.

Brien,

You seem to be one good chap..No sledgin' no foul-mouthing, just some good hard cricket though you are getting hit for quite a few :-) Keep up the good work

A great day of entertainment for us viewers. Good show by the bowlers, picked up sehwag and gambhir early. Then a good fluent 50 by sachin, and a steady partnership with Dravid, and then again a sudden burst of good bowling by the bowlers, picked up wickets quickly. And then when they were thinking about wrapping up, Bhajji, Dhoni and Zaheer provided good resistance. A good battle was seen today, and 375 runs were scored, highest by India in a day. Looking forward to a great day tomorrow as well.

Good Spirit, Iain. I think this test is going to be very interesting moving forward. Good luck and stay fit !!

Congrats Iain for your 50. You did not mention anthing about batting by Indian tail...you din't want to talk about it huh?

Hey Ian, as usual, very frank words from you but I think you should have talked a bit more from the Match prespective as well. Thelast session belonged to the Indians and Z has to Bat erally well to get beyond almost 400. Can you guys pull it off?? Is there a plan put forward?? Do you think 400 is not a lot on this pitch?

These things remained to be answered.

thanks

It felt good to see NZ bowl with such a brave heart and sweat. And that too a fav blogger like you hitting the deck efficiently more often than not, It pleased me a lot. Go on like this and O', you will be seen along with the greats, no doubt. Also, a little praise for INDIA too as its tail wagged once again to save us from the blushes. Well, First day, 375 odd on board with 9 down and a fierce NZ bat to slash, big day, indeed, tomorrow is.. Way to go lads !!

Was that kind of a day, where edges didnt go to hands. U guys did well to claim 9 wickets altho 30-35 runs more... Get ready to bat tomm. ;-)

Hey O'Brien.. I think you were pick of the bowlers today. You bowled well and congratulations on ur 50..!! Keep going and never stop blogging.. we love it..

Congratulations, Ian. Well done! You are being very modest in your blog today. The commentators had some very nice things to say about your bowling and quite a few edges, off your bowling, went just short or wide of catchability. Good luck in the future. Just dont bat too long, man. I am an Indian supporter, of course.

Iain, I love reading your write-up. As it come straight from some one who is in the middle. Your view are very objective, unlike other writers who get into jingosim, anger, finger pointing.

Keep up the good work. All the best.

Good job Iain!!!
Hope India will come back stronger in 2nd innings like they did in the last test.

Hi Iain, Nice blog ;)But frankly speaking,Both New Zealand and India can lay claim to the honours, though i would give extra credit to the tail as they wagged ferociously today!!! I beleive u cud take the lone wicket tom so that ur batsmen can have a go at our bowlers!!! Expecting a gud competiton!! :) U guys looked very tired EOD, even McIntosh was hopin that he could get to bat only the next day wen there were 8-10 overs left for the day???

congrats mate on getting to 50 wickets in test cricket!!!
today was an action packed day and as a true cricket fan, one couldn't have asked for anything more(runs,wickets,partnerships,class and slogs etc)....a couple of sessions belonging to NZ and a couple to India and at teh end of teh day, India holding the edge.
It will be interesting to see how quick NZ can knock off the last wicket tom and chase the runs...getting to 400 will certainly give Ind teh psychological edge and further frustate the bolwers.
looking fwd to action packed cricket over the weekend and wishing u all the very best for tom(make ur tally 51).....cheers:)

Congratualtions its a big achivement.. Well earned rest I agree. But don't u think u guys went for too many runs?? I mean India cud have made 270 runs and lost only 5 wickets and tomo they wud've made another 150 or so until luch and get out.. They did all that today..
I think India has upper hand on day1 atleast.. unless NZ puts 300 tomo and loose only 3-4 wickts its India on top of the game..

nice article,,but i would like you to be more aggressive..say something to the batsmen,upset him with bouncers make eye contact etc..best of luck buddy,,,,

Well done Ian. You've worked hard for this, and your average just gets lower and lower. Keep it up!

Congrats! But I want India to win this match :)

Pleasure to read your honest blogs..batters need to do a lot of work for NZ now.. Best!!

Congrats Iain.

Congratulations Iain on the 50 wicket mark...I hope with all my heart that you go on to get 200 wickets for NZ. You seem like a really genuine person. I don't always get to read your blogs but really enjoy them when I do get the chance. I am an Aussie but really enjoy seeing NZ do well and get really disappointed when the team capitulates. All the best champion!

first of all Congratulations!! nice to read your experiences on the pitch and how you feel when things are going right or not going right. However, I feel you sound very confident that NZs will bat a long time tomorrow, (I'll eat plenty, drink lots, wear my compression tights and stretch lots). Mate what if our Indian Bowlers bowl too well or NZ batsmen make more mistakes than Indians?? I would like to see you bat tomorrow... SOON!! All the best mate.. Keep Bowling and Blogging!!

Russell loves the O'bri magic

Hey, congrats.. i wish you will get many more wickets..
All the best.
Nash - India

Well bowled Iain. But my guess is even indian bowlers are going to get some movement on this wicket.And if the last wicket goes early the early morning is just going to help the indian cause. The first session will be crucial in dictating the fortunes of this test. It was a pleasure to watch the indian tail wag so profusely. It could be the one defining period of this match.

nice to hear that ian congrats for ur little milestone,
eagerly waiting for 2nd day's play, its interesting to see how a little more experienced indian bowlers bowl on this pitch but beofre that lets hope munaf stays with ishant till the psychological barrier 400

It's unbelievable that you have the energy to blog after every day of hard,grueling test match cricket! Anyways,it's always a pleasure to read your blog :)

PS - Don't try too hard to get Sachin's wicket...we all love watching him bat!!! :P

Nice Blog Iain ,and congrats on your 50 test wickets.Thoroughly entertaining day of cricket it was today.As for me i hope that the Indian tail keeps still wagging for another 20 odd runs tomorrow.......All the best mate.

Good job, hopefully Dan will chuck you the ball tomorrow morning and you can pick up number 51!

Hope u ll get the 51 st tomoroow ...

All the best OBrein

Hey Iain, Congrats on your mini-milestone of 50 test wickets...Hope you get many many more(500+ would be great)....but not much against India i hope...Congrats and keep it going

Congrats boy!!! Way to go!!! I'll crack a beer for ya :-)

Hey Iain..!!Congrats on ur 50th Wicket.Also i have reading ur bolg from the very beginning of the series..Hope u continue this in the next series as well..!I just want to ask u one Question ...After playing for so much long in the field almost 7 hrs..ho u r able to right dese blogs..!

Ian, You bowled brilliantly.. But don't feel like you have won the match.. the advantage you have after getting dravid and dhoni out is gone.. thanks to tail enders.Like you said if you guys batted for 2 days, your inngs lead is not going to be that much thankto poor bowling at the end and poor captaincy by vittori. India are on the driving seat and there is something for the pace bowlers . IF i were you watch out for zaheer and ishant. They will be licking their fingers to bowl on this pitc. Every reason for India to put nz pay for these late runs!!

brilliant Brien , thanks for sharing your experience on the field

keep it up

congrates man
have a nice day

Congratulations Iain, Kiwis will be proud of your achievement. Keep it going, but by the looks of it, both the teams might not cross 400runs in the 1st innings. All the makings of an interesting Test match.

wat a fantastic honest blogger this man is

congrates man
have a nice day

Well bowled Ian. typically edgy day. but yourself and chris martin have kept pegging at indian. but wishful thinking when you say put your feet up for a couple of days now. I think inspite of being a good batting wicket , this pitch has something for bowlers. it would be intersting to watch tomorrow.you need a well deserved rest

great blog mate, I love the way you give everyball 110% and always feel like every ball you bowl has a chance, well done on always getting these online so quickly keep them comin mate

Hi Iain...you just make me wait for your blogs these days.I really love reading them.Congrats on your 50 test wickets.....Hoping to see you bat as early as possible.Good luck mate.

congrats Iain on 50 scalps!!

I was actually looking forward to know how does a frontline bowler feel when a tailender is hitting out at you like Zaheer did with his 4,4,4,4,2!! You didnt write much towards that ... i am quite sure tho that u need to make an effort to keep yourself cool!!

Congratulations Ian!!
Just hope or guys edge a few more for 4.
reaching 400 after 200 odd for 6 will be awesome!

Excellent effort today and loved your jumpy celebration after Sehwag's wicket. I thought the previous ball to Sehwag was identical, its just that he din't nick. You mentioned you were a touch short on that occasion. But i think this is the length that he is uncomfortable with.

-An indian fan, but a die hard lover of cricket - all forms, all countries, both domestic and international.

Congrats on ur 50 wicket haul... may u gets lots more :)

Good effort fella...n congratulations on reaching 50th test wicket.hope u will get many more in years to come...I was only concerned by one thing you did not mention how you feel about the batting of genius Sachin Tendulkar. How u guys feel out there in the middle when he times the ball so well as he usually does...n whts ur plan for the rest of the game?...cheers

good blog Iain... well you guys still in shadow.375 runs in a day quite big relaxation for indians.now tomorrow will be your turn hope you guys turn the things around in your favour its do or die condition for your team.all the best

Yeah ! Thts right !!!
Many Congrats to you for your 50 wickets...., and for you got Sehwag....,
All in All, it was a fun filled first day of Test Cricket, 9 wickets fall(i thought it'd be all over today only), lots of boundaries..., seems like a good batting track..., but i think that the "Wind" factor didn't very much come to spotlight as one would've thought...,
Hoping for a similar day tomorrow... gud luck...... and yes Awesome Blog again..., Keep Writing.......

VikksB

Nice blog iain... But dont u thnk so that 375 runs on 1st day are 2 many!!!...giving away so many runs on 1st day can bcome 1 of d major factor if NZ lose...it'll b interesting 2 c how u guyz bat 2mrw!!!...best of lck 2 ur team 4 nxt four days.

not a bad day ha Iain...

But, I actually thought you would wrap up the Indians at least below 300, after having them for 204/6.

Edges flew and you guys did not have the luck to make it come to one of the playing XI. Anyway, this seems like a good batting track, and hopefully you could repeat the feat that you'll did in the last game, so that you could get a healthy lead....all the best....

congrates Iain..now you have 5o wickets with your name still long way to go,win the match for newzealand it will be double delight for you.hope you will put your best to make your cheer double....

How much rest do you want?

Will Indian Bowlers will allowed it?

Remember you are chasing for victory, so NZ should bat for at-least 5 session to think of a win here.

Congrats Ian on the milestone......here's wishing many more to come

oh and by the way, must have been frustrating for the kiwis to see Munaf and Ishant 'Bat' the way they did :)

Hi Brien,

Just wait for tommorow and you will see Ishanth hitting five consequent fours off your over. By the way shows how well you bowled mate to go for 4 sucessive boudaries in one over by batsman no 8.

Congrats Iain for the little milestone. May you reach a lot more bigger ones in test cricket! God Bless

Hi Iain....Congrats for 50 wickets! That was an absolute snorter especially for a tail ender. I feel like you missed a trick or two in the final session and the Indian tail hammered you around the park. The pitch has something in it for the seamers to keep them interested. Its advantage India now!!

Hey Iain, another of your great posts. It sure was a cracker of a start but the way u guys came back was wonderful to see & great for the match (not 4 me though, being an Indian supporter). Hope we can have a result in this match...gud luck 4 tomm maite n keep typing in !!!

hi dude i had been waiting for your blog on todays match,i felt u guys bounced back pretty will after the first test,but don't count the INDIANS out,this team is very tough to beat but todays score is very competitive one,
best of luck for this do or die match for u guys

Congrats friend! I wish to see you tomorrow with bat also.

Hi Iain
I'm sure it was a great feeling than the dropped catch of Gambir in the 2nd test.

ya its been a tiring tour for u guys so far. I think your field placements to the tailenders today were just not right. To make it worse , some of the balls were not bowled according to the field. I think if India goes past 400 tomorrow that would give them a psychological edge. Also ,may be you wont get the rest u thoroughly deserve since you would be forced to bat tommorrow looking at the pitch and the Indian attack. Anyway , congratulations for your brilliant feat today. You have the potential , but its for you to deliver again and again. As they say ,keep the basics right and you would be there among the best.

Great performance, 2 wickets, try and get Sharma out 2morro. Keep taking wickets like u do.

Oh yes..it was an absorbing day of play. I was initially disappointed with the brown and relatively flat track. But the groundsman said that it is tough to get a green top this time of the year. Some loose shots to tight bowling did the trick and you guys were right in the game. I started to doubt Vettori's decision of bowling first. I am sure we were looking at 320 or so all out but the Indian tail did a magnificent job. As you pointed out, the atmosphere was great. It was awesome to see a good crowd for test cricket.

Congratulations on your 50th wicket. When you got the wicket of Sehwag, I was like this boy deserves it after dropping the lollypop in the last match. I would love to see India get 400+...so lets see how quickly you can get the last wicket. Great first day of test cricket...definitely worth the money. I enjoyed it.

Iain,
I thought you guys bowled really well today to restrict India to a reasonably low total on this wicket , which appears to offer little help for bowlers.Congrats on ur feat-50 wickets.Hope you have many more coming your way.. All the very Best.

Great fun reading as always Ian.. and one heck of a day to watch too!
Hey about your (well deserved) rest, Zaheer, Ishant and co might have other plans mate! Anyway keep up the spirit Ian, really like watching you bowl..

Who were you pointing at when you took the catch off Southee?

Congrats Ian, hope you will achieve many mile stone like this.

sehwag was destructive all right, but what about the way the little master went about his innings. he looks 19 once more.

Hey Iain,
Congrats on getting 50 wickets. Surely you'll want to get the last wicket tomorrow and rest for a long time. BTW really nice blog.

Really exciting and entertaining day! Looks like a truly sporting track...allowing all skills to be displayed. If the ball keeps doing something on days 2 & 3 too, Kiwi batters will really have to excel to give Iain his 2 days of feet-up rest! Lookin' forward to Zaheer & Co. givin' em hell though! :)

Ian, what i like about your bunch is the never say die attitude and what i don't like about Men in Blue is say die attitude. I think that is what is going to be the difference at the end of this Test. Great teams finish the job then and there, Good teams do it more than often, average scramble, i hope Men in Blue does not finish on the average side, but you bet, Black caps can feel a lot better at the end of this test coz lot of rubbish were written about you, don't think they would any more. You have earned our respect.

The contest is on and in a great way, I hope the last test provides all the thrills. I still bet for indians to win this match. If there is something for bowlers indians will also have there chances.

HI Iain,
Love your blog mate.. Well bowled today. I thought you guys could have had a brilliant day but for our lower order..Congratulations by the way on the 50 th wicket...i hope you take many more wickets(and i hope they are not against india ;))..anyways, all the best for the rest of the test..
keep writing
Abhinav

Congrats on your mark of 50 in Test. Today u got the big one of Viru. Zaheers 4 X 4, 2 and W amazing. From the first 4 i was expecting a wicket finally it happened on the last ball of the over. As usual the middle order messed up and the tail enders have saved the day for India.

Thats fun to read... Ian... I cannot imagine what goes through your minds when you bowlers run in to bowl to sehwag !!!

He must be giving you a lot of chances tooo !!! doesnt he ??

However I guess India have gotten awy... with almost 400 !!

Congrats on your 50 wickets... hard working and committed cricketers like you deserve all the accolades and wickets you get !!!

your delivery to Sehwag was just about rite... when he doesnt get room... he tries to manufacture !

Congrats on reaching 50. I do however find it strange that you make no mention of the slow-innings from Dravid or the innings dished out by Tendulkar, Dhoni or Bhajji. Would have loved to hear your thoughts on these innings.

Hey, I love your writing ! Its so wonderful feeling to read such a magnificent writing of A INTERNATIONAL player like you. Your true & honest feeling, that you put here is so exciting to read , its amazing. First time i saw u in 1st T20, dislodging the stumps of sehwag & that was superb & excellent ball but i have had not very good feeling for you at that time (you bowled sehwag) but i got so much praise for u & since then i always wished sehwag to not face you as i fear you would again get him out. Today it was quite unplayable delivery to remove sehwag, nice job. Whenever you come to ball sehwag, i always use to think what would be going through your mind? For me,its most interesting thing to see u bowl sehwag , Love this ! Keep posting your articles, I always wait for it desperately. Good luck for tomorrow's game.

Hi IAN U bowl very well today & congrats 4 ur 50th test wkt & best of luck 4 the rest of the match.

Good on you mate for the 50 wickets, wish you many many more before you hang up your boots. It was a good performance by New Zealand and only the wagging Indian tail managed to bring some respectibility to the total. Looks like a fascinating test match ahead......

Good on you mate for the 50 wickets, wish you many many more before you hang up your boots. It was a good performance by New Zealand and only the wagging Indian tail managed to bring some respectibility to the total. Looks like a fascinating test match ahead......

This pitch / weather actually reminds me of those in Toronto for the India-Pak Sahara Cup (late '90s). The conditions kept offering sideways assistance all the way through (though not at lighting speed) and also had some bounce & turn for Kumble...and the Indian bowlers, including Ganguly, really made hay! Wonder if it'll be deja vu at Wellington?! But they'll have to keep working hard like the Kiwis. (and not drop sitters!)

Buddy, you ruined my day. I was wishing for a big hundred from Viru disappointed with the way he got out in Napier. He was well on his way untill you scalped him. Right....How can you think of bowling short stuffs at him after being hit repeatedly towards midwicket during the ODI series? Anyhow, cool your heals pretty well. You might have to feel some hard blows in the second innings from the same man.

congrats on ur 50th

Congrats to you on the 50 sticks Iain! Cheers.

Good show, IOB :-) But.... you're gonna bat 'morrow itself :-)

Well bowled today, Iain. The first spell of 10 overs this morning was superb. That to class acts of Sachin and Dravid. We ll done. I am sure you are in pain following a lot of bowling in the second test and now today. A couple of cold ones will surely sort you out.

Keep up the good work on the blogging Iain, and also of course the bowling. Thanks heaps also for signing an autograph at fine leg when I asked you today, much appreciated - it was only my second cricket autograph ever, the first was Sir Richard :) The Basin is indeed a magical place with a decent crowd, I had to queue around 20 mins to get in today, a working day. Hopefully this weekend will be huge, I'm expecting a huge crowd tomorrow and will be getting to the ground early. Hopefully you will be enjoying a long rest watching NZ bat, Cheers Gordo

Congrats Ian. It is an important milestone and we wish you many more milestones (though not against India!!). You deserve it. I still can't believe that as a top notch cricketer you have time to blog after a days play. We have a lot to learn from you professionally. All the very best.

All the Best Bro !! We Expected a lot from you about the Historical Edges :)

Why your stupid blogs are about you and your greatness only? Is it suppose to be like this? I think you should show more efforts analysing how both teams played, Which team looks ahead right now, pitch condition etc.etc.

Congrats on reaching 50 wickets. Hope to see a really good test match and a result favoring INDIA

good show iain. you are definitely going to be the spearhead of the NZ attack in coming years.

I still think more can be extracted from your action with some tinkering. you still have some potential untapped which is mighty good for you !

Iain,
Your best bet tomorrow would be to up Ryder the order. He can come in as opener, that puts Mccullum a step above the tail and gives him more time to build partnerships. Alternatively, try Mccullum as opener. He can best use his potential there to terrify the indian attack on a pitch straight made for batting. Aim to bat for close to 2 days - that would be 160* 3.5 = close to 550 runs and a handy lead of 150+ with roughly 10-15 overs to run against the indian top order at the fag end of the day. Best mate.

Good milestone.. But there is many things you should achieve.. Work hard...Love your game.. Congrats and all the best..

Well done on getting 50 wickets and I hope you get very many more - as long as the opposition is not Indian ;) Watched the over you bowled to Zaheer, it was very entertaining. It will be interesting to see how NZ do while batting. The true course of a test match cannot be judged until both teams have batted once each.
I am highly optimistic that with the open grounds, the Indian pace attack will be able to swing the ball and cause a lot more problems. No offense intended.

Yo, Mate!! Congrats for the 50 wickets!!n hope many more to come.. I have deep sense of foreboding , tht india wud win the game with a day to spare!! watchout for bhajji!!

Hi Ian.. congrats for scoring a half-century.. wish u go on and on and on and accumulate more ...

Good work today... Congratulations... And if you keep up the good work... and also be as frank as you are with yourself... I'm sure it'll be a matter of time that 500 would be on the cards... Good luck and keep fighting!!!

How do you find the energy to write a blog after such a crazy day of cricket? Hats off to you! I'm finding it hard to do my laundry and all I have done is wake up!

congrats on going past 50 wickets!! your blog makes for a great read.

Very Good Excerpt of the day!! You write far better than any cricket Guru :) Keep going Mate, Wish you all the best for 3 digit Mark!!

Congrats on your 50 sticks..Do you really think there was nothing in the wicket..we saw the ball moving around a bit and with players never settling in and getting out after a start.

Well Ian, first of all kudos for achieving the milestone.
But I am really surprised at the comments of Ian Smith and feel same from your side as well. It seems both of you believe that the pitch is very good to bat on. Well, I do feel that it is good for stroke play, not for piling runs. You must have seen how many times the Indian batsmen pierced your slip cordon, unintentionally. The ball was swinging and seaming till the time it was changed after 80 overs. So I won't be suprised that India comes to bat out again tomorrow at the fag end of days' play.
Well you beat Dhoni 3 times in a row once and that takes some assistance from the pitch as well.

In my opinion, it is 65:35 in India's favour as of now.

Hi Brian,
When you see that last wicket fall, tell you early batting line to avoid those away Balls and play those low yokers of zaheer very intelligently otherwise India will see what Newzealand has seen today and may be your boots will be again on ground on the third day.

Get some rest guys.... and pray that the batters don't put you back to the field tomorrow :)

YEah mate well done. but you couldve had 2 more wickets if you attacked the stumps. looks like you guys hold back to the tail. They shouldnt have reached 300

hey iain brO .. congrats on getting 50 wickets.. iam sure u will get many more..
coming to today's play i think India are sitting pretty with the late onslaught by lower order. the important think is to take in to consideratio the fact that @ Basin the first innings score has never been high. if iam right the avg score is around 318. so i think NZ wil find it tough chasing in d second innings as well as the 4th.

any way all the best for tomorrrow.

P.S.--iam not just saying,but ur like an elder bro to me ;)--

Congrats, Ian for the 50 ! Thers's still more in you. Keep Going! All the very BEST !

hey bro..

if u can take some more time out,can u please post ur replies to d comments posted by the users? dat will be great..

Congratulations Iain on your milestone. New Zealand is such an underrated team, and I am sure you are proud of how your team has progressed. NZ plays the game according to spirit and will win heroes through out the world. I feel NZ has a great chance of winning the test match provided they bat solidly and get the remaining 11 wickets.

Hey its a tough day for you guys. The tailenders had played their luck and hit all around the park. Good to see your comeback after hitting four four four four by zack. Hope that last batsmen could get some useful runs. Great day for india and you too. Congrates for your 50 wickets.

Congratulation on taking 50 wickets.

Iain, I'm an Indian supporter but I admire the New Zealand team for the fight you always put up when you step on to the field. Well done in getting to your milestone and the all the best in getting to many many more :-)

Congrats Iain on reaching 50 test wickets.Yeah you deserve some rest tomorrow but beware of tailenders prepared to swing wildly.I personally thought India should have declared once Zaheer went and tried to nick one may be two of your Kiwi pals.Anyways keep up the good work both on and off the field.
Regards

Hey Iain, congratulations on getting 50 wkts mate. Hope you get a lot more wickets (not Indian ones i hope). Otherwise I thought the day was evenly balanced when stumps were called. You bowled pretty well and alongwith Chris Martin. I felt Sachin, MS, Bhajji and Zak did a very good job from the Indian perspective. Lets see how Day 2 pans out.

gud job kiwis.gud seaming bowling against top class middle order.now another job start here,to match indias score against those bowlers who can swing the ball both ways.gud luck

Hi,

I think NZ lost their grip when Dhoni & Harbajan started building the crucial partnership. Bajji was very lucky to survive on many ocassions, but still he provided valuable runs in the end.

India will add another 10-20 runs to get bowled out, but remember Ishant, Munaf and Zaheer all are waiting to terrorise NZ batsman with their excellent pace bowling which this stadium too supports. If NZ plays sensibly as Gambir did last test to save the match, they have this match in their hand. Otherwise, I predict NZ allout within 200 runs and India might start batting before end of 2nd day.

Anyway, all the best and keep going !!!

Cheers

congrats dude..

Iain..,
I love your bloging...you really do a great job,on field and even off field... congrats for 50... Hope you get such 50's some more.!
Good luck for the rest four days dodo..!

hey iain congrats for the achievement i bet u really worked hard for each and every one of it and keep on going never lose hope and try to get to 250 milestone as soon as possible and then rest will follow ALL THE BEST!!!!!

Hey Iain. Greetings from India. love your blog. What were your thoughts on the late order surge that india managed. I am sure that spoiled Dan's plan a bit. Guess you will have to make some plans for india's tailenders in the next innings.

Congrats Ian for the milestone!! You are good to get many more like this. Keep bowling and keep blogging

Congrats on reaching the milestone.

Of course, the last wicket will give a relaxation for you guys tomorrow.

What did you feel when, your balls were redirected to the fence for four times consequently?

You achieved the 50 wicket mark on your 17th game. Good luck to reach the next milestone within 15 games.

Could you share your feelings when India came back after losing Dravid at 204 for 6?

Good luck for Day 2.

More than u gettin these batsmen out it would be more fun if u can give the same treatment vit the bat when its thier turn to bowl

Hi Iain, i am great fan of you specially for your blogs :-),your blog idea is simply great, It would be simply great if some of indian players also do this stuff, as of today i wont be happy with you! you got my player SEHWAG out :-) Good Luck

Hai dude...!!! you are not mentioned much about indian tailenders batting..... Whether you want to forget???

Iain, congrats on 50 test wickets. Hope it's just the start of things to come mate. Proud of you boys, best of luck!

Good summary of day 1. Keep up your good writing Iain....! I liked it, especially when you put Four, Four, Four, Four. But you should give credit to Zaheer & not to forget, Baaji for playing superb shots under pressure. See ya @ day 2. Hope you don't have to bowl full morning session to Ishant & Munaf. Ha ha

Hey man,
Congrats for 50 wickets, though it's small but hey small thing make way to major stuff. I think the Indians did terrific job after wobbling in middle overs, I just hope we do well in bowling also, Neverthless best of luck for tomorrow...

More than u gettin these batsmen out it would be more fun if u can give the same treatment vit the bat when its thier turn to bowl
And ya congrats on ur 50 wickets

Hey Iain, Congrats on reaching the milestone of 50 Test Wickets...Hope you have a long and successful career !

Congratulations for getting 50 scalps in the whites mate! Hope there are many more to come. However i will be hoping the lesser against the indians the best. I wish u luck for the rest of the match.

Hey buddy...congrats man...u deserve it...may god shower his choicest blessings on u to get more of those..:-)

Nice to understand the match from the players' perspective. thanks Ian

Congratulations ontaking 50 wickets. Way to go !!!

Iain

I seem to like your Blog. It makes nice reading. You did not mention anything about Tendulkar's knock. I watched the match for about 1 hr and it was amazing. I don't know why he attempts the uppercut every so often. Good for you;-)

BTB, are you getting paid for your blogs. These days, our Indian players make so much money from playing cricket, you should learn a few trade tricks from them.

Iain

I seem to like your Blog. It makes nice reading. You did not mention anything about Tendulkar's knock. I watched the match for about 1 hr and it was amazing. I don't know why he attempts the uppercut every so often. Good for you;-)

BTB, are you getting paid for your blogs. These days, our Indian players make so much money from playing cricket, you should learn a few trade tricks from them.

Great Show Ian. Keep going - best wishes for your 100 and more thereafter.... It is such a pleasure to see your writing skills match/better your cricketing skills. Best wishes here too, and please keep writing. There is so much honesty in your writing that makes it so special.

Heartfelt Congratulations on your 1st 50!! Nice to watch this contest between two great cricketing nations. Your blog sure is good and better the responses. Cheers to your bowling!!

Oh ya! Good day of cricket and crowd was also entertaining. Even watching on Television becomes boring if ground is empty silent.

Earlier 2003's memories were haunting me when NZ demolished India on this ground, but this time pitch seems to be good for both batting and bowling.

I hope you finish India's last wicket tomorrow quickly. It will be interesting to see Indian bowling attack on this pitch.

I am sure you will cross 50 test wickets mar by next inning. :)

Oh ya! Good day of cricket and crowd was also entertaining. Even watching on Television becomes boring if ground is empty silent.

Earlier 2003's memories were haunting me when NZ demolished India on this ground, but this time pitch seems to be good for both batting and bowling.

I hope you finish India's last wicket tomorrow quickly. It will be interesting to see Indian bowling attack on this pitch.

I am sure you will cross 50 test wickets mark by next inning. :)

Hey O'Brien, U insult to New Zeland cricket it's me again. Why wasn't my first post about your godforsaken grin posted .. yeah the one that makes me want to punch you in the face ... It's because of bowlers like you that test cricket isn't fun anymore ... Can't believe you are actually a test match bowler? No wonder New Zealand is at Ranked 8 JUST above Bangaldesh and even they have Mushrafe Mortaza who is a far better bowler than u.. Jeez AND you can't even bat and it was suprising that you actually caught one today ... I hate you and your ghastly grin, world cricket would be better off without people like you ...

P.S. - U R ugliest cricket I have ever seen but I must admit you do have Lasith Malinga as competition

great show Ian.

like in my earlier responses i will just state the hard reality. the Indian Team is very ordinary and i dont even consider it among the top 4 sides in the world.
You boys just need to do your basics right and this average Indian side will fold like a pack of cards.

Ian u look like an old man so better u take retirement u r hairs r like a hair of a joker.U r the worst bowler i have ever seen in my life.

Ah.I hope India wins this match with a day to spare to enable you guys to have your rest. But, here's wishing you many more and may you score plenty of runs too. I detect a very competent batsman here.

What's wrong with you, my fellow Indians? It's his blog and he can (or not) write whatever he wants. Why should he provide you Indian batting perspective or the match perspective? He can write about his dogs or cats, if he pleases. Stop whining about every little thing. Indians cricket fans are crazy.

Congrats Shitpiece ... man u smell bad but

Hi
I think India is still not out of woods with this score.i really find it strange to see the approach of some established indian batsmen in such a crucial test,when a test series win is at stake.If NZ comes up with 2 to 3 good partnerships, then it would be too difficult for indians to get out of it .i really pray and hope that indian bowlers do pretty well tomorrow,that is the only chance india have to save this test match.

It will be an understatement to say that I love your blog !! Gr8 job.
I was very much surprised when Vettori decided to bowl first. You guys had bowled for 3 days in last test. Am sure it would have been a psychological nightmare if Sehwag would have been there till, say, lunch !! But it was great to see effort put in by NZ bowlers. I think it has been more than 350 overs spread in 3 continuous innings, that NZ team has been fielding. You guys surely deserve a rest.
Lets hope Zaheer, Ishant & co doesn't deny you that !!

Hey lain congrats on your 50th wicket. I am surprised you have not written anything about Tendulkar or Dhoni's batting...Dont tell me you weren't skeptical :)

Brilliant day of test cricket...Ian, if I were you, I would be a bit worried about the way I got smacked around by the indian lower order than the wickets I took. I like your blogs. A little too condescending at times though.Enjoy your 50, still a long way to go.

congrats on ur 50th wicket iain, continue the good work. hope u finish the indian tail atleast by lunch tomorrow!!!lol!!!

hey Iain, jus take the wicket of bloody munaf and make ur guys to bat...so that wkt could fell so early and we d bat again tomo...

50 wickets in so many matches. Plz dont mind but u r a bit slow to reach there. i think u r much better bowler than that. hope u will grow gradually and will make up the record. I have set a Target for u 200 Wkts in 45-50 Matches and 300 in 65 matches. Go and get it. U r capable of this. My wishes r with u win lots of matches for NZ (but not against India). Congrates

Just 700+ wickets to overtake Murali. Go, Ian, Go.

Iain Congrats for the milestone.Indeed this little milestone sum up to Bigger ones.
Wishing you all the best for the game........

Congrats for getting sehwag. Otherwise sehwag will get to 100 before lunch with perfect ball. Shewag probably did n't think you have it in him to bowl the tennis ball bounce ball. It should be surprise ball. Shewag sometime too cocky for his own good. without sehwag india always has play to draw. As long as sehwag is not there , NZ can hope for a draw at min. This indian team has weakness in yuvraj. That is only problem this indian team has. if india fill that hole with good test cricketer watch out. That aside you did bowl well around 140ish. May be increase another 5kmph without losing accuracy, then you can be deadly with that incutters.

Well First congratulations for 50 wickets Ian, and than talking about the first day it definitely belonged to India.i think bhaji-dhoni partnership was crucial and turning point of the match and might be series defining moment , Sehwag was as usual care free , Sachin majestic , dravid struggled , in fact if dravid would have scored at 60% , india would have been at 400 plus in the end , yuvraj is complete disappointment.

Well India will use definsive field placement and make it difficult for nz to score , remember dhoni did that to England and England felt in trap and lost the test match last year , I think its Advantage India , but its cricket you anything can happen in next 2-3 day , may the best team win. i have always liked New Zealand team , very good and honest team

Congrats on 50 wickets! Thanks for the blog. Gives good insight of whats going on in the middle, particularly inside a bowler's head!

Aussies never trash talk with sehwag , They know who they can mess around. do not give encouragement to already his lunatic mad man in cricket pitch. Best way to get sehwag is be quiet and sneak one like today. Sehwag can play defense as good as Gavaskar but he won't. He is mr. gladiator on the ground. He plays well when ODDS are against him, Join Sehwagology (www.cricketwithballs.com).

YOU WILL GET HAMMERED TOMORROW. YOU AND YOUR TEAM
ARE SORE LOSERS. NOWADAYS I HATE TO BE A KIWI. YOU
ARE UNWORTHY OF BEING IN THE TEAM .YOU SHOULD BE REPLACE BY CLASS PLAYERS LIKE SHANE BOND. I WILL ADVICE GLENN TURNER TO DO THAT. IT IS A SHAME ON YOU THAT YOU WERE HIT FOR 4 CONCECUTIVE FOURS IN TEST CRICKET BY ZAHEER KHAN A BOWLER . ITS A HORROR SHAME!!!

hai

First of all i would like to congratulate you on reaching the mark of 50 wickets. I hope you get many more. I wish you all the luck.

Now coming to the point, i said it earlier that i feel amazed at how optimistic you are even though the match is not too much in favour of Newzealand as you are sounding. I still think 375 on this wicket is more than a par score. You had your chances today, when india was like 200/6 but you failed to capitalize and gave many more than you hoped. 375 is a pretty good score, even a match winning score i would say.

Im sure that it is playing on your mind, but in your blog you highlight only the positives even though there were a lot of negatives today. Actually that is the way it should be, you have to be positive. I can certainly say that there is a lot more on your mind which is not in your writing.

The bottom line is that the match is very well poised, still India has the edge at 65-30. You would have to improve on todays performance to win.

i think indian tail really batted well and lan didnt ball that good to zaheer khan. its a pretty even going mathch right now but you never know anything could happen, but i could surely say that india wont lose this match

Congrats.. But don't think that Nearing 400 Runs is a small total.. Kiwis batsman aren't that much attacking or weak when it comes to defending too.. i think in the last matches.. Black caps ride away on number of catches dropped.. otherwise could have turned worse instead of drawing a match.. once again congrats for the 50th wicket, way to go mate

this is a 600+ wicket for the team batting first so INDIA has missed out on a huge opportunity thanks to their recklessness and some decent bowling from NZ including O'Brien . Well done Ian
for restricting india to a manageable score but make sure when its your turn to bat you make the most of this batting track and take a handsome lead to pressurise india.

this is a 600+ wicket for the team batting first so INDIA has missed out on a huge opportunity thanks to their recklessness and some decent bowling from NZ including O'Brien . Well done Ian
for restricting india to a manageable score but make sure when its your turn to bat you make the most of this batting track and take a handsome lead to pressurise india.

this is a 600+ wicket for the team batting first so INDIA has missed out on a huge opportunity thanks to their recklessness and some decent bowling from NZ including O'Brien . Well done Ian
for restricting india to a manageable score but make sure when its your turn to bat you make the most of this batting track and take a handsome lead to pressurise india.

Congratulations on 50 wickets Big Guy !!!! Good Stuff... I love reading yoour blog ... its great to read what goes in the mind of a cricketer or what happens at the cricket field just after the pay is wrapped up...

Congratulation On 50 Wickets. Keep the good work for your country. I fell very good in the manner the two nations are playing. Its largely very sporty environment between the two teams. Now you need to take that last wicket early and bat well. else India is going to run over as its favorable condition for Indian speed attack.

Well Done Iain !! Congratulation for your little mile stone ! I'm really imrepssed with your honest blogs, keep posting more. Good Luck

hi Brian, Congrats for your 50 wickets, do your best 2morrow morning and try to get the last wicket asap but as i am Indian i wanted my team to wrapup this series by 2-0.
hope dhoni and party could do this.

best of luck for you future you are a great player and a good writer too...
Best of luck for tomorrow

congrats lain o brain . i wish u get more wickets in future

congrats lain o brain . i wish u get more wickets in future

I might miss the plays of the day but I never miss your blog...your style of writing si quite engaging and you deserve more wickets. Your bowling is improving every match though I hope it doesnt against India :p..Way to go mate.

Mr O'brien.. Your ball was scattered through all over the basin reserve by "Tail" of India.. If the openers starts their play, your cricket life is going to end!!! keep in mind and talk less

Congrats Ian...Great to get an idea of the field proceedings from some one actually part of it. It'd be great for you if NZ can put up a good show with the bat. Hoping for a tight contest.

Hats off to your one of the comment "I can tell you I was a very happy boy when he (Sehwag) nicked one, off me, through to Baz"".. from this it shows your character... in person you are loooking like a 45 years age old and when the time you took the wicket of Viru, you were really looking like 5 years old baby with a lot of happiness.... continue your good work... my best wishes to you to bag another 50 atleast in 10 matches:)

Congrats Ian. A fine start to a great career. Best of luck for Day 2.

Congrats Mate on reaching half a ton!You had a nice turnaround ..you enjoyed taking that catch of dhoni isnt. I watched a great game of cricket today. Lot of wickets and plenty of runs in the last session, a perfect plot for a exciting test cricket match. Good Luck Ian. I wish you taking the last wicket.

Watch out for India's 2nd innings....Sehwags due for a 300 not out off 170 balls!

lets see how far u will go.....best of luck!

Thanks dude for all your comments

Thanks dude for all your comments

thank god...dravid got out early...otherwise india would never reach to 375 in a day....even on a first day he plays like he is under follow on and trying to save the test..

thank god...dravid got out early...otherwise india would never reach to 375 in a day....even on a first day he plays like he is under follow on and trying to save the test..

Congrats for 50 TEST wickets!!! Hope u get many more. All the best!!!

It was an exciting day of play. But last session gave India an edge. lets see if they can keep the momentum going..

Hi IAN....1st day of 3rd test was exciting as runs kept flowing and wickets falling at regular intervel..brilliant batting by sehwag,masterful batting by sachin n sensable batting by dhoni and entertaining stuff by bhajji,zaheer,ishant n munaf....as india hold the edge over NZ as 375 is very gud score on this wicket.....i hope tht nz shld bundled out under 250....n India go on to win 3rd test n series 2-0..
.............ChalDeyIndia............

how much will jesse score tomorrow...

Congratulations on the 50 wickets Iain! May there be many more to come!. Hope you get the rest day or two that you want! :) Your blog is a great end-of-day read. Cheers

Ian,
Congratulations for your 50 th Wicket ! I am seeing the legacy of Hadlee in your bowling and I admire your skills and Honesty.I hope there is definitely going to be a day of reaching 400 Test Wickets.
The 1st day of basin reserve wasn't yours, the Indian tail-enders were to tough for NZ seamer's. By looking at your mates still there is a long way to go, consistent bounce and pace and too wide of the off-stump, what is the strategy.? Please watch some of the footage's of Wasim Akram, Glen McGrath(How to remove tail-enders)Harbhajan,Zakheer and Patel are not have any technique to sustain the condition. However, the NZ pacers gave them an opportunity to learn a few things. I am surprised by seeing Southee's bowling, I guess, he is in the process of learning but not effectively, he needs some advise from his country men, otherwise his an immense talent will be vanished soon. I hope tomorrow morning you will clean the last piece of cake.. after all it is game..

Congrats on reaching the sweet milestone.
I can't wait to see day two unfold.
Amazing test match already.
Kudos for keeping the test game live and kicking.
I love test cricket.

Congratzz Brien for ur 50!!
Its admirable how you were bowling 140s even in your last spell.. Keep it going man and hopefully you will be in the list of 300+ wickettaking bowlers

Congrats Ian,
Also, Wishing you for great success for the road ahead. You guys have toiled enough Bowling. Now its time for you to make merry with the Bat. The first day was very interesting, I enjoyed every ball and hope the remaining days will also be a great feast for all Cricket lovers.

Congrats on the 50 wickets, Iain... did you know Munaf got to 50 RUNS in the same innings :0 It was hilarious watching you and Chris running into Ishant and Munaf, since I's sure you know they will repay the short stuff in equal measure. Now off to practise the vertical bat edge over the keeper, as Zaheer showed can be done!

Congrats for reaching nice little milestone. This is the first comment I am writing in your blog..Keep going mate...I enjoy your bowling..Dont get sewhag wicket offen :-) I enjoy his batting too........

hey man.. congrats on taking 50 test wickets.. pretty good work, and nice to see u take sehwag's wicket..!! i remember u mention his name atleast once in ur blog.. so thats really nice feeling when u get his wicket.
hope this match turns out to be a great one..!!
dont know when will india come back here again.. so let it end as a close contest!!
all d best..

well done mate, hope india will make 400, overall a great contest

Iain, You bowled well and deserved Viru' wicket. But dont be surprised Zaheer,Munaf and Ishant can run you guys over. Its going to be an exciting Day II, for sure.

You had an excellent first spell today and should be proud that you had a big hand in stopping India from getting off to a real flyer. Shewag is one of those batsmen that will feed off his start and it looked ominous there for a while when he was tearing into Southee. You came on and balled at pace and accurately to stem the tide.

Well done Iain. I'm happy you had a good day in the field (bar that hammering Khan gave you in that one over of the last session).

Hey Ian !, How are you ?
I thought that the first bowling change was brought on too late, and after Tim Southee's tour round the park in initial overs, I think You should have been givne the bowl. No regrets anyways, I was having a close look at you when you were bowling your first bowl at Sehwag..Seriously Dude ! Well done, Sehwag really has no honours for the bowlers. You cramped him for room and that is the only way to get him out...throw a couple of lose deliveries..let him be confident to play for boundaries and then throw a good length in dipper that shall ask him for room...good work !..
I would like to contact you personally Ian, my Email address is himspats@gmail.com, I will let you know about how to bowl at others as well..(may be of some slight help!)..
Lovely blog once again,
get the wicket first ball tomoro !

Hi Ian,

During the final session of the day, when Bhajji & Dhoni were playing there was some light chatting going on between you and Bhajji. Would you mind enlightening us, on what was said between the two of you?

BTW. This is a great blog, keep up the good work, and my best wishes to you. However, I hope India wins! ;)

Regards,

Rahul

Two guys wid lady walk doing well for newzealand you and jessy
but I liked your performance against aussies more than against India
congrats for 50 wickets but I want to see more from you

Hi Iain its great to see that you achieved 50 wicket mark so early in your career.Hoping that you will continue your good work in future and play more for New Zealand.Congrats for feet you achieved.

Congratulation buddy ! :D

where's the party tonight lol

anyway ,I feel its was a fascinating day of cricket ,specially test cricket ,I have ever seen for a long time .

But effort...and heary congrats on ur first 50 wkts....but don't count ur chickens before they hatch. Who knows, u might find urself batting in the 2nd session on day 2, and worse, start bowling in the 3rd session. Be prepared for spending some more tome in the park instead of relaxing with ur "feet up watching our boys bat". Frankly, u r expecting too much if u want to watch ur guys bat for 2 days.

Just one silly question - Why cant bowlers bowl one line to tail enders - inches outside the off stump, or (make it two) york them.
I bet India would have been in a shameful position, had the tail not wagged.
For both teams - Its a question of 'who is willing at Wellington - willing to WIN'

Hi Iain

Congrats for ur record breaking performance. I hope u go along and get that 2 figure mark quickly. I think after ICL stole ur Bond, u people, pace bowlers, are doing a good job within the limits. I wonder what kind of batsmen you like to ball to ? a Dravid type or Sehwag type ? Whenever a batsman goes guns for barrel, bowlers seem to lose the plot at least for sometime.

About the test match, i guess match is there for NZ to win. After the first day, one thing is sure.. a result seems 100% in this test match.

HI Ian obrien i think newzealand bowled preety senselessly especially at the end of the day and if they wont bat well in their 1st innings i think they wll go nowhere ok but still hope sumthin frm guys like ross taylor and jesse ryder..

Congrats Ian, it is really fun watching you bowl. Interesting days play, waiting to see how NZ chases. Cheers

Congrats Buddy on 50 wickets... Nice jump in the snap... Hoping to see u batting tomo, come up with a half century, it will be great.... But the way u came back took Zaheer was great...

Ian is not a journalist..he doesnt have to praise the Indians or for any body for that matter.

Its his blog , read or leave it. Dont expect cricket essays here. Once in a while a bloke writes, you dont write about the indians, you always write about yourself (its a personal blog Duh!!!), you dont write about how well Indians played...etc etc...

Come on guys..understand the basics first...this is Ian O brien's blog not cricinfo main page article about yesterdays game. He will write what he wants to write, whats on his mind ..things like this. If you expect him to bow to Indians in every blog, this is not the place you have to be...

Coming to the game itself, a lot , a hell lot depends on how well NZ players play in the first innings. If they give any sizable lead to India, Sehwag will make sure the lead pile up like a mountain. He is due for a big one and its the last innings of the series. I expect a NZ defeat early fifth day.

hey! firstly i must congratulate u for ur 50th test wicket...hope u achieve a lot more in ur career..n i must say its a great thing to have your regular updates here...but i wish to find something more than just the match review in your words...u should get us some on-field uncensored quotes from your team-mates...like some sledging stuff.

congrats on getting to 50 wickets keep up the good work and goodluck for tomorrow xx

Is your blog just meant to gloat about yourself and your team...Get real mate..I guess this season Indians have been the better team.

Congratulation Brien..Hope you should achieve more more milestone in near Tests Tours.I wish you all the very best and Take Care

Dear O'Brien:
I wish the internet was available in the dyas of, Bowling Greats like, Lillie, Imran, Botham, Bob Willis and Kapil dev were palyin. And if if they were writers like you, we would have known a lot about the art of Bowling. Still I'm enjoying the reading your blog. Great job.
I hope others will follow your path.

Its a shame that you dont have a word for sachin in your blog...he was superb today but let out for a loose shot... you only seem to talk about you..i understand it will be hard for you to write up after a tiring day but only this will not be enough to show the coin both the sides ..come on I'an show more spirit

Well done Iain, only 383 behind Sir Richard now, go get him tiger. I think you guys would have been pretty happy to get 'em all out for under 400 before the test started, so you are well on track. Lets hope the team can bat like they did in Napier, good luck to the top 3 in particular, you need a bit of luck especially Tim!

Can I write a blog please. Seems anyone can these days, and it will get posted on cricinfo.

congrates for 50 wickets. keep target for 500. best luck

Well done Iain. A good blog. Almost cussed Dan when he opted to bowl first.But you guys bowled well. BTW, why is the area behind Baz left so free. The tail enders seem to be making merry thru that gap.

Congrats Ian,cricket needs talented and articulate personalities like you.I wish you a great sucess in you career and life.

Interesting fianl test match,we hope to beat you and win this test also.Fingers crossed!!

Is your blog just meant to gloat about yourself and your team...Get real mate..I guess this season Indians have been the better team.

Congratulation on the career milestone. Yesterday was probably the best day for the Nzl attack in this test series so far. I am hoping for a tight finish in this test with a good second inngs chase.

good bowling , congrats ! kEEP GOING ...

Congratulation on the career milestone. Yesterday was probably the best day for the Nzl attack in this test series so far. I am hoping for a tight finish in this test with a good second inngs chase.

@Rick Though I don't agree with the stupid part, I do agree with the rest of your comment, kind sir.
Iain, you need to stop being so self-centered. I used to like your blogs but a few blogs later, the only glaring thing I have noticed is how 80% of it is dedicated only to you. What are you trying to prove here? The blog should have been more about the match, the defining moments, the deciding factors, the gameplay and plans rather than a single individual and his justifications for his actions. You view your blog as a defence mechanism to complement your inadequacies in the field and thats not the way to go.
@Others Iain is almost 33 years old, there is no way he is getting 500 wickets.
But then again, look at me talking with Iain. He doesn't even read these comments and all the people think they feel as if they are talking with him. If talking is a one-way conversation, then yes, sure you talk with him everyday. Stop advising him...he knows more than you and has pro strategists.

Iain, Congratulations!!
Wonderful to celebrate 50wkts and Shewag dismissal.
So when u started yesterday morning, I knew Viru would throw his wicket soon. Next time try short of length, knee high outswing, u would get him pretty early then.
Good luck for early morning spell. Go Iain Go!!
Take rest.

Hearty congratulations Iain on your first 50! I was very impressed by the effort you - and the rest of the Black Caps - put in. Best of luck for the rest of the test, and I hope to see your 51st (and 52nd, 53rd, 54th...) soon! Oh, and tell Dan to stop declaring before Tommy comes in; he needs the practice, and you could squeeze in another 10 runs yourself.

Well bowled! Especially the wicket-taking delivery to Viru. But you know what... you are going to get back in the middle within a couple of sessions to bat as no. 11... hahahha... Can't wait to see that happen :)

congrats for your 50th wicket.hope you ll get many more..but india gonna win this test match..they will score more than 4oo and you ll be bundled out for 235. lol

Oh yeah, 50 wickets! So what? For a 33 year old who has been in and out of the side and who is mainly there because other better bowlers like Bond or Mills are unable to make it to the team because of their form or other issues, thats hardly an achievement worth boasting. Get five wickets in an innings more often and then I will believe you do have something thats worth noticing. These two three wickets per innings ain't gonna help you mate. You gotta be a destroyer and a match winning bowler instead of a bits and pieces bowler. You should concentrate more on your bowling than your blogs, perhaps atleast then you would stop bowling boundary balls and let off the pressure every now and then.
And look at all these arrogant Indians saying how the Indian bowlers are gonna make hay. The sun ain't gonna shine people.

CONGRATS FOR 50 TEST WICKETS!!!!!!!! hope u get your next 50 faster then your first 50. Keep working hard. Love to see N.Z. beat India!!!!! I rout for India but I also like to watch compatitive cricket. Good luck for next 4 days.... bye (I LOVE TEST CRICKET)

Woah! 50 already? It seems like only yesterday that I remember hearing about that O'Brien guy being picked for the Blackcaps. Congrads on your 50th wicket and hopefully you can get a lot more and steer NZ to some great victories by the time you retire.

I thought near the end you and Martin were bowling way too short to the tailenders. Almost every run they scored was though or over the slips. If you had bowled a proper line and length then you could have found the outside edge as well but this time it would have gone to the slips at a lower height and in a more conventional direction. \

The reason that they are "tailenders" is that they dont possess all the skills of specialist batsmen, and if you bowl to them the same way that you would bowl to the top order then you have a much better chance of getting them out. Then maybe you could slip the odd yorker or short delivery in.

This has been a trend this summer. Bowling too short to the tail in order to perhaps scare or dumbfound them

nice bowling......congrats on reaching 50.

congrats on ur 50 wickets!!nice work yesterday for both teams hopefully u guys can put on a good total and win!! GO THE BLACK CAPS!!

hey Iain, congrats for your 50 wicket haul!!!!! But one thing is for sure that you guys will never get past the Team INDIA..So please drop up your hope of winning the match.......and by the way where the hell is bond....

Congrats on your 50th Test Wicket Iain. Best of luck for the rest of the match.

congrats to you Iain on your 50 wickets, great days cricket yesterday.
and if there are any of you coming on here giving negative comments saying 'hopeless bowler' go and get a life, you can only dream of playing international cricket, can't be that hopeless if he's picked up 50 international wickets can he.
Once again, congratulations to you Iain.

Hey Ian,
Congrats on your landmark!!!!

Your blog is extremely narcissistic. You always only write about yourself. Part of being a sportsman is to also observe, reflect on the opponent's skills. Sachin/Laxman for e.g. have played some very sublime innings this tour. But not once have you ever mentioned how it feels to be in the middle and experience world-class batting like that. Its always I missed a run-up, I feel the rhythm, I feel good, I did this, I did that.. It gets tiring after a while. Please think about including something about your opponents. Congratulations btw, on the 50. Good luck!

Ian,
Last week I was playing a family match, I was
trying to bowl to some pinch hitters. It was very difficult to bowl the correct line and length.
When the going was tough,my mind conjured up images of how you bowled R.Dravid. The result
was 3 maiden balls and 1 wicket in the same over.
I really enjoyed your bowling.

Ian,
Last week I was playing a family match, I was
trying to bowl to some pinch hitters. It was very difficult to bowl the correct line and length.
When the going was tough,my mind conjured up images of how you bowled R.Dravid. The result
was 3 maiden balls and 1 wicket in the same over.
I really enjoyed your bowling.

its very gud to 50th wicket ofv a great batamen

Concentrate on the game not the blog!!

this is why we are crazy about cricket. IOB can safely remove his first paragraph about 'two days of legs up watching his boys play', coz, he is padded up and ready to bat :-) legs down :-) Don't intend to rub on NZ, but i am highlighting the nature of the game of cricket

unless, IOB predicted they would play follow-on and NZ would need to bat for two days in a row. in know i sound like a jerk, not intended that way. in the hang of uncertainity of cricket :-)

Hi obrien,
I've always wondered what's the big deal about your blog. It's an excellent documentation of your incompetence both on and off the field. Maybe you should spend more time to improve your game and satisfy your employers rather than cricinfo readers?

Do you think maybe guys like Southee should do more fitness work? Ive bowled with you guys in the nets along with england, aussie, india, sri lanka, west indies and all their bowlers have nice long spells.. i remember one time tim came over bowled about 4 balls, looked puffed and went to have a sit down.. gillespie came out bowled about 7 balls ( 6 full tosses ) then he went and sat down.. its no wonder those 2 are always so puffed.. tims got a lot of potential but seriously.. get him on the tread mill! ps ive played indoor vs you for yearsssss - grats on 50 wickets big move - keep that ball coming back into sehwag and you'll get him in the 2nd innings too ( if they need to bat again.. :( )

bad luck buddy with ur batsmen but u still have a chance to do what i said before(hit out against zaheer and bajji)

@rohish: yeah he is really hitting out ! haha

@Indian supporter: I understand where you are coming from. Nowadays it is hip to have a blog. Has nothing to do with competence/performance. Never mind that a blog is nothing but a glorified web page with ability to leave feedback ( so 90's technology with a new name :) )

Great bowling OB, and as I type this you're batting like a Test player too (albeit a day earlier than I hoped, but such is the fickle nature of the NZ top order.

You're right - the Basin really is a beautiful place to behold a Test match. Another benefit of having such a boutique cricket ground in such a location is that it's really fun & easy to buy 2L riggers of Emersons across the road and jump the fence in :-P

All the best for the 2nd innings bro~

Congrats Ian on reaching a milestone....all the best.

Iain
I am sorry maite. You wanted a much needed rest, looks like your Batsmen wants you to bowl in the II day too. Pathetic batting display from your team. Sorry to say that. You batted well.

Much Needed rest... yeah right.
You should ask your batsmen before writing your blog, i think. You showed your commitment.. but your batsmen didnt. ICL robbed some very good bowlers from NZ. NZ Cricket is suffering.

Hey Ian, Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Its nice to see cricketers being savvy with the net and using its full potential. It looks like the series is gone for now but you could definetly teach the Indian team how to be net savvy :)

Nice performance mate,keep it up,you are shaping up to be a reliable bowler for the kiwis,and with the big tournaments lined up this year like T20 world cup,ICC Champions trophy,you will be handling more responsibility.
All the best buddy...njoy your game

Couple of days with your feet up you wished for mate? Touch luck. You are up against the best team in the world buddy. I dont blame you for trying but dont get diappointed. Ask the Assuies, the English, the South Africans, the Sri Lankans...they will tell you to try and learn something from observing. The way I see it, you seem to be getting angry. Does not help. This taste is gone mate, done and dusted. Better look and learn while you can.

I watched your 14th over, you have bowled a really tight over. the ball seemed to move away from MS Dhoni. he struggled against you in that over. and the next over, Martin got the priced wicket of Rahul. you seem to be working in strategies. Congrats for the 2 wickets in the first innings. 3 more to go for you, as i have told you in my comment in the previous post.

Good Luck.

Hi Brian, again a bad day for black caps but hope your team will fight back 2morrow morning.
try to out Indian batsman asap.
best of luck for 2morrow.

I guess your plan has been spoiled bro... waiting to hang up your boots and having some rest???

Hard luck mate, you hardly got about a couple of sessions of rest, let alone a couple of days..... maybe you can rest once the match is over!!!!!!

Vivek:

"Your blog is extremely narcissistic. You always only write about yourself"

Think its a bit too harsh to say that. Its afterall his blog. So its gonna be about him.. Plus i am not certain he can say too much like team strategies, what he felt and how he plans to get sachin out and all that. NZ cricket board would come right after him.

whats good is hes honest, provides an on the field perspective, and is down to earth. Thats why people read this blog. It would be nice if he could write as you said about what he thinks of his opponents but even that can invite criticism about being judgemental

Congratulations ! You are absolutely cool - go on - more wickets are arriving :-)

Hi folks...just wanted to apologize in case you find some of the comments here from us Indian fans a little smug. Fact is most of us are really proud of and enthusiastic about our current national team! (I guess the way you guys have felt about your legendary All Blacks in rugby!) But most of us also respect the efforts and talent of your young team. And here's to the possible return of Shane Bond to the Black Caps soon! (will be great for world cricket too) Cheers!
- a Team India supporter

You shouldn't be calling it a blog if u r gonna write about other people instead of your own self!!
Ian has been absolutely truthful and candid in expressing his views and feelings of each day's play.now thats something that needs to be appreciated. It feels wonderful to read the account of someone who has been right there in the middle of all the action..Thanks for the prompt entries Ian!!do keep blogging!!

145Kph in the last over of the day...great effort Iain! (and congrats on your 100th run!) Too bad you and your fellow bowlers didn't get much of a rest...that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes I guess. But Zak and Bhajji were excellent. Terrific day for India.

Ian, The match is pretty much headed one way unless the bowlers who appear very tired can bring something out from under the hat. Well, thats part of the game, however during the end of the day today, I saw you bowl over 140 and said "wow, this guy has some pace". Very impressed I must say. I remain a big fan of Shane Bond and would look forward to someone being as lethal as him from this lot. Keep it up mate, you have the spark and the spirit to make it happen. May be you can bowl the Indians out cheaply in the second. Congratulations on your first 50 and I am certian first of many more to come. Keep writing and keep the modest touch buddy.

Interesting that it was mentioned that the ICL had robbed good NZ bowlers and that we're suffering, but would Iain make the team otherwise?

Anyways, congrats on making 50 Iain, at least you can take something positive from this game.

I'd just like to ask you one thing Iain. You said it looked and played like a good one day wicket, if that's the case, what does a good test match wicket look like? That one out there looks like a bloody good one to me.

Hi Iain,
Nice feeling of 50 wickets in Test matches. Isn't it??
Well, as an Indian, I am following the matches in Newzeland from the last 20 years and did wonder what is lying in the NZ pitches that India has such a miserable record there. Feel elated today.Hope from here on India can clinch the match and the series.
Being said that, you can always expect miracles in cricket and would love to see this match going to a nail biting finish either side.
I would like to convey my warm regards for NZ cricketer for being through gentlemen unlike the Australians who can go upto any extent to win a game.
Best of luck mate!!!!

Congratulations for your 2nd reaching a second personal milestone in 2 days time.I just came to know you surpassed your previous best score of 14 runs and today scored 19!! and i surprised to note that it took 3 years for you to cross 14 runs,no fun intended but i belive you can do better in bating.

Great blog! Congratulations, Ian! Two personal milestones in two days of the game...
Good luck for the next 3 days.

bowl some blimmin bouncers dravid cant handle them

Why no blog today? Is it because the opposition is on top? Or aren't you sport enough to eat your own words? Or maybe you just realised that there is a fine line between being optimistic and dreaming things too big for your own good.
You guys were lucky to even draw the one-dayers over here last time around. The team was suffering from selection issues and injuries.
@Others Oh yes, perfectly right that its his blog and he can write about his own self...but then what the hell is his blog doing here at cricinfo? Cricinfo is about pure cricket, not about personal things. Go and blog on blogger or blogspot or something. Of all the blogs I read over here, this is the only blog that keeps on ranting abouthow great the writer is and how he can do things better which he never seems to do. This guy ain't a sport, else why would he delay the blog everytime his team is down? Maybe it would help if he could learn to be a better sport and give credit where its due that this would be better.

good luck!!!!

i want comparission between sachin & dhoni in last 50 odi innings