India salvage pride with late strikes
Zaheer Khan’s much expected return to action after his hamstring injury lasted a mere three overs © Getty Images
By Ashish Shukla
Northampton: Aug 6, 2011
India salvaged some pride with a seven-wicket burst in final session as they restricted Northamptonshire to 355 for seven even as strike bowler Zaheer Khan’s return to action ended in a whimper on final day of two-day warm-up match on Saturday.
The visitors claimed seven wickets in the dramatic final session with six of them coming in just 12.2 overs and at the expense of a mere 40 runs.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, and pacers Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth took two wickets each while part-timer Suresh Raina claimed one Northamptonshire scalp.
Northamptonshire made 355 for seven from the day’s play in reply to India’s 352 all out and were deemed winners on the basis of first innings.
The Indians were put to the sword by Northamptonshire in the first two sessions even though the tourists managed a few late wickets at the county ground.
The openers of the hosts, Mal Loye (100) and Niall O’ Brien (117) hit individual centuries and put on 201 runs for the first wicket before some late wickets smoked the dominance of the local team.
Loye and O’ Brien who have played one-day internationals for England and Ireland respectively, batted together for 47-odd overs and completely pulverised the Indians.
While Loye hit 13 fours and two sixes from 149 balls, O’ Brien smashed 17 fours in his knock from 172 balls.
Loye was the first one to fall when he drove Munaf Patel to covers where Mahendra Singh Dhoni made no mistake.
A little later, O’Brien also left, reverse sweeping Mishra and holing it to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, this time patrolling the third man region, again.
The Indians tried all tricks, including a few overs from Dhoni and claiming the second new ball but the determined Northamptonshire eighth wicket pair of David Murphy (26) and Dave Burton (35 not out) saw them home.
Like on Friday when their major batsmen failed to get going, it was the turn of the Indian bowlers to face the heat.
The day was deemed important for Zaheer but the left-arm paceman bowled only three overs before he retired inside the dressing room.
According to team sources, Zaheer “only tested himself for three overs and the work on him is continuing”.
However, Zaheer looked to have some major recovery left on his right hamstring injury to be fit in time for the third Test at Edgbaston starting on August 10.
Loye and Brienn batted with authority and imposed themselves on the Indian bowlers even though leg-spinner Mishra would feel that the umpire at his end was particularly hard on a couple of his genuine appeals.
As the end of midsession drew nearer, Indians had begun to bowl no-balls and conceding byes.
Northamptonshire’s top order did not have a particularly good time at the crease this season so this success of their openers would particularly rankle the visitors.
Earlier resuming at their overnight score of 327 for 7, the visitors were all out for 352.
Mishra, unbeaten overnight on 48, duly completed his half century off the first ball of the morning and ended up making 61.
Tall medium-pacer Luke Evans took both the wickets to fall this morning and finished with his career-best figures of 4 for 74.
Brief Scores: India 352 all-out (Abhinav Mukund 113, Amit Mishra 61; Luke Evans 4 for 74, Lee Daggett 1 for 52) vs Northamptonshire 355 for 7 (Mal Loye 100, Niall O’Brien 117; Amit Mishra 2 for 64, S Sreesanth 2 for 74) Match Drawn
© PTI