Related Links : New Zealand’s Tour of India 2010/11 : India Player Pages : New Zealand Player Pages : 1st Test Scorecard
India eased to 329 for 3 in the opening day’s play of the 1st Test against New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad. Opener Virender Sehwag scored a smashing 173 from 199 balls (with 24 fours and a six) which was his 22nd Test hundred while Rahul Dravid registered his 30th Test century, scoring a patient 104 from 227 balls with 14 fours. The Indians completely dominated what was a thin Kiwi bowling attack on a flat batting pitch.
It was MS Dhoni winning the toss and batting first under bright and sunny conditions. There were two changes for India with Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman returning for Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara while Sreesanth was preferred over Ishant Sharma. For the Kiwis, Kane Williamson and Hamish Bennett made debuts.
The hosts got to 60 in just under 12 overs before Gautam Gambhir got bowled by one change medium pacer Jesse Ryder who got his indipper to beat a cover drive and go through the bat pad gap. Gambhir fell after a 41-ball 21 with 3 fours. After the first wicket went down after an hour’s play, it was all a dry period for the Kiwis as they failed to get any wickets. By lunch, India moved to 127 for 1 in 30 overs with Sehwag on 87 and Dravid on 12.
The afternoon session was a tiring one for the visitors as they failed to even pick up a single wicket. Sehwag raced away to 152 and Dravid worked his way to 61. India moved towards 243 in 62 overs as the Kiwis failed to latch onto a couple of half chances offered by Sehwag.
After Tea, Virender Sehwag who was slightly done in by the heat was lazy to stretch forward and he had to pay penalty for playing from the crease to a full delivery from Vettori in the 75th over. Sehwag got bowled off his pad to end what was a massive 2nd wicket stand of 237 runs. Dravid followed him after eight overs when he bottom edged a forcing cut shot off Chris Martin onto the stumps. It was the second new ball that produced this wicket for the Kiwis.
India saw through the rest of the final session cautiously to end play with just the three wickets down. Sachin Tendulkar is on 13 from 47 balls in the company of VVS Laxman who is on 7 from 29 balls.