Cricket: Top 10 moments of India's tour

Virender Sehwag hits out during the first Twenty20 match in Christchurch. Photo / Getty Images

1 Sehwag's first three balls in NZ, Christchurch, February 25

The dashing Indian opener set the tone for the ODI series by lifting the first three balls of the tour, from medium pacer Tim Southee, into the construction site at Christchurch's AMI Stadium.

You could hear the crowd give out a collective "whoa!" as each ball whistled behind square leg to start the opening Twenty20 international with a bang. Ludicrously short boundaries, yes, but they cleared the rope by some distance. New Zealand won the match, but it was as if Sehwag, on behalf of India's batsmen, was clearing his throat for bigger things to follow.

2 New Zealand win in the second Twenty20 match, Wellington, February 27

The win came on the final ball, with the scores tied, when Rohit Sharma couldn't quite reach a miscued shot by Brendon McCullum running back towards mid-off. So New Zealand won the match, and took the series 2-0.

Terrific start for New Zealand and sign of good things to come? It could have been. Instead it proved to be a false dawn.

The attitude of India's captain, MS Dhoni, was interesting. Was he ruffled by his tam's poor start? Not at all. His message was clear: let's wait for the big games to come round.

And he was proved right. New Zealand sunk from then on. India rose to dominate the rest of the tour, save a solitary ODI at Eden Park when the series had already been lost.

3 Sachin Tendulkar's ODI blitz, Christchurch, March 8

New Zealand audiences wanted to see a final masterpiece from Sachin Tendulkar, always assuming he won't be around the next time India are in this neck of the woods. They got two.

The first, a sizzling 163 off 133 balls, came in the third ODI. And the second half of his innings was done with a sore stomach muscle.

He simply tore the bowling apart as India rattled up 392 for four, the equal third-highest total in an ODI between the major nations and the highest ever in New Zealand. Tendulkar hit 16 fours and five sixes - out of 18 the Indians managed that day - in his 43rd ODI hundred. Next best? Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya on 28.

His ability to manufacture shots that turned respectable deliveries into boundaries was stunning. This was not a good day to be a bowler. More than once, the bowlers wore that "what do we do now" look as decent deliveries whistled to the fence. Tendulkar has seen the look before. Brilliant entertainment, if you weren't a bowler.

4 Sehwag's assault, Hamilton, March 11

New Zealand, 2-0 down, had to win at Seddon Park. They got 270 for five in 47 overs. India's target kept changing with rain interruptions. But it wouldn't have made any difference as Sehwag crashed the fastest ODI ton by an Indian, fastest against New Zealand and seventh quickest ever. He took only 60 balls to get there, on his way to 125 not out off 74, with 14 fours and six sixes.

It was a plundering of bowlers who had no answer. Needless to say there was not a single maiden. The 100 came up with a straight six off Dan Vettori. India finished on 201 without loss of 23.2 overs, winning by 84 runs. At this point, this were, ahem,, grim in the New Zealand camp.

5 61-6 sets the tone, Hamilton, March 18

India were planning to bat if Dhoni won the toss in the first test. But the skipper had a hunch on his way out to the middle and when he called right, sent New Zealand in. As hunches go, it wasn't half bad.

At lunch, New Zealand were 61 for six, under a hefty pump, from which they didn't escape, losing by 10 wickets inside four days. The conditions helped, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma were in charge, the batting was tentative and the die was cast.

A year earlier, New Zealand had beaten England at Seddon Park and there was a belief that the hosts were a chance on a ground they've enjoyed. But they played poorly from the off, dropped four catches, with centuries to Jesse Ryder and Vettori the notable, resolute exceptions.

Once Harbhajan Singh was given a 241-run first innings lead to work with, it was all over, the offspinner taking six for 63 to finish the job.

6 A master class from Tendulkar, Hamilton, March 19/20

India began the first test with their bowlers grabbing the initiative; Tendulkar then took over to shut the door on New Zealand. If his ODI ton in Christchurch was dazzling, the 160 he scored over days two and three was akin to a lesson for aspiring batsmen.

It was not a perfect innings. It took six and a half hours, and 260 balls with 26 fours. At times he had to knuckle down, be patient and bide his time. Which he did, showing that big runs can be made safely, without having to take risks, and all the while respecting the good delivery.

His shot selection was superb and when the bad balls came along, which they did often enough, he put them away with a huge degree of efficiency. But this was not a Sehwag-style slaughter, more a dissection of a hard-working but uninspired bowling attack.

It was test hundred No 42 for the world's highest test and ODI runmaker and his fourth against New Zealand.

He's unlikely to be back but he's left some special memories.

7 Double ton for big Jesse, Napier, March 27

He started the Indian tour as New Zealand's best known cricketer, if not entirely for cricketing reasons. But the burly Wellington lefthander had a fine campaign, to the point where he became the country's most reliable batsman.

The high note was struck in Napier in the second test, when Ryder took his score from 137 to 201, becoming the 11th New Zealander to make a double ton. Ryder batted for just over eight hours, faced 328 balls, hit 24 fours and a six in a monument of concentration. Okay, the pitch was benign but it was still a quality job.

And it was the manner he made them as much as the runs he scored which caught the eye. It was a classy, chanceless, mature innings from the 24-year-old. It came after his maiden century in Hamilton and strongly reinforced his rich talent.

8 The run out that missed, Napier, March 29

New Zealand 619 for nine declared; India all out 305. Then, following on, began day four of the second test on 47 for one. The pitch was easy, New Zealand craved early success knowing it would be a long-haul day.

In the second over, champion batsman Rahul Dravid pushed the fifth ball from Chris Martin towards James Franklin at mid-on and set off. Franklin gathered and threw at the non-strikers end - and missed, with Dravid stranded. The batsman looked skyward, offering a silent prayer. New Zealand players clutched their heads. Dravid was dismissed 54 overs later at 163 for two shortly before tea. India's other batting giants then locked in the draw. Had Franklin hit, it might not have changed the outcome. Equally it might have.

9 Bowlers blow it at the Basin, Wellington, April 3

New Zealand gambled when they won the toss in the third test. They had to win and figured getting among the Indian batsmen on day one was the best choice. Shortly after tea, India were 204 for six. The gamble was paying off in spades.

Then New Zealand's fast-medium bowlers had a brain fade, delivering a pile of poorly directed short-pitched dross at India's lower order.

Tail-end Charlies enjoy nothing more than a chance to have a flay. Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan in particular climbed in. India rocketed to 375 for nine by stumps.

Between tea and stumps, India hit 185 runs off 35 overs. The tail had beaten New Zealand round the ears and the short-pitched madness effectively shut down home hopes at a series-levelling.

10 Batting botch-up counts NZ out, Wellington, April 4

If the bowlers had just about ended New Zealand's hopes of squaring the series at the Basin late on the first day, the batsmen made sure of it on day two.

A collective flop had New Zealand dismissed for 197, 182 behind India and on a good batting pitch, albeit offering some help to good bowling. Two days of good batting could have had them 150 ahead with the best bowling conditions yet to come on days four and five, but they blew it.

Of the top six, only opener Tim McIntosh could say he'd been got out. It was a desperately disappointing end. It also raised questions about the maturity and cricketing nous among the batting collective.