After a thorough drubbing in the second Test, New Zealand came to Hamilton full of confidence to seal the series, possibly 2-0. West Indies were looking like a rabbit in the headlights and needed to draw inspiration from somewhere to at least make this a match. Offer a fight.
New Zealand walked onto the ground fielding the same side that convincingly beat the Windies in the 2nd test with the “Don’t fix what isn’t broken” philosophy clearly seeming like the order of the day for the Kiwis. On the other hand West Indies had to make a handful of changes to their squad due to various reasons. Sunil Narine came in for Shillingford, Darren Bravo who was injured during practice missed out and Braithwite came in for him. Gabriel missed out as Permaul replaced him.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum invited the tourists to bat after winning the toss.
Teams:
New Zealand: Hamish Rutherford, Peter Fulton, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, BJ Watling (wk), Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
West Indies: Kieran Powell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kirk Edwards, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Sunil Narine, Tino Best, Veerasammy Permaul
The track looked a shade brown in colour and there was hope that there’d be some help for the New Zealand seamers early won due to some moisture in the pitch.
New Zealand threw everything at the tourists but the dead and benign pitch coupled with decent batting produced no expected result for the home side early on. It was a tremendous 1st session for the West Indies with Edwards and Powell getting the team off to a slow but steady start. Wagner dismissed Powell cheaply but Brathwaite and Edwards had averted a collapse thus far.
Thus far – being the key words in that last line because it is their collapses that are spectacular these days, and West Indies didn’t disappoint on that front again, losing 4 for 9 to convert a solid start of 77 for 1 to 86 for 5. But what followed was even more spectacular, and substantial. Denesh Ramdin and Shivnarine Chanderpaul stunned New Zealand with a sixth-wicket partnership of 200 that came at just over four an over. Ramdin’s exit late in the day after his fourth Test hundred gave New Zealand some respite, but Chanderpaul was closing in on his 29th century, and West Indies had two specialist spinners and two competent part-timers to exploit a slow pitch which afforded turn and bounce for slow bowlers even on day one.
New Zealand weren’t as disciplined as they had been in the previous Test. Ramdin and Chanderpaul were never tied down, and hit boundaries freely, helped along by some uncharacteristically sloppy New Zealand fielding and catching. Ramdin was put down twice on 57 and 92 at midwicket and short cover, and Chanderpaul escaped with several airy nudges that just beat leg gully. Both batsmen took their chances, and prospered.
Chanderpaul did what he does best – occupy the crease, while Ramdin, after a brief period of blocking, went on the attack. The moved paid dividends as the partnership started to grow and the run-rate started to increase as well. The duo went on to add 200 runs and pretty much made it a Windies’ day but for that wicket of Ramdin which has brought back the Kiwis into the game. Ramdin eventually getting out late in the day after making 107 and Chanderpaul is still at the crease on 94, 6 short off yet another test century.
Corey Anderson was the pick of the bowlers with 3 scalps. The Kiwis would now aim to wrap up the innings under 350 while the visitors will look towards Chanderpaul and Sammy to take them close to 400.