Cricket: Job only half done, says Fleming

MOHALI, India - New Zealand's cricketers have no qualms about batting into the third day to try and grind India into the PCA Stadium dirt after a record-breaking first day of the second test here.

Contrasting centuries from Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson added up to New Zealand's third-highest test opening partnership of 231 and a record for any wicket in 44 tests against India stretching back nearly 50 years.

Vincent was trapped in front by Anil Kumble for his test high 106, 50 minutes before stumps, but a cramp-stricken Richardson was set to shuffle on today on 102 not out alongside Scott Styris at 247 for one.

Captain Stephen Fleming insisted the job was not done as the tourists pursue a first series win in India after the draw in Ahmedabad.

"Five hundred's the bare minimum and I'll bat into day three if I have to, to get a one-bat total," he said.

"We've got to make the play, and the longer we take them the more desperate they'll get, and if we win in the last session on day five so be it."

New Zealand lost allrounder Jacob Oram on match morning with a calf strain Fleming said "snuck up on us", giving Ian Butler his fifth test.

Fleming almost embraced television anchorman Ian Smith after winning the crucial toss, one of many things that went wrong for new captain Rahul Dravid.

He dropped Richardson at first slip on 10, watched wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel botch the simple run out of Vincent on 29 then saw his bowlers get carved through the leg side with some exquisite sweeps and drives.

The opening pair fell over to complement each other after topping Bert Sutcliffe and John Reid's New Zealand record against India of 222, unbroken, in Delhi in 1955-56.

The only superior test opening stands were Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis' 387 against the West Indies in Guyana in 1971-72 and Stu Dempster and Jack Mills' 276 against England in Wellington in 1929-30.

For Vincent, 24, it was a long-awaited second century after his debut 104 in Perth two years ago.

But after his 319 minute, 227 ball knock which included 14 fours and two straight sixes off spin whiz Harbhajan Singh, there was still some frustration.

"It was good, but it was another hundred then get out. I don't want to be earmarked as one of those players, I want to be tough enough to keep going and going," Vincent said.

"It's awesome, another test century, but no more bonus runs. Things to work on, things to cherish and things to look forward to."

While Vincent led the way, Richardson was his dour self as he clocked up his 17th test half-century in his 26th match then set about adding to his two centuries.

His journey from 90 to 100 took an eternity after cramping up several times but he finally reached three figures six overs before stumps.

"I was ratty going into this game. It was the first time I hadn't made a decent score in the first match of a two-test series," Richardson said.

"Bang, I'm into the last game and I've got to go out there and do something to get on the plane with a smile."

He admitted the conversion rate question mark of 50s to 100s had started to irk him, having seen the pain it put Fleming through in recent years.

"It's been building. I saw what it would do to Flem and it's been playing on me, unnecessarily so.

"I guess I've contributed without getting the hundreds but it's nice to get a bit of kudos now and then.

"I also like to knock Turns' (his former Otago coach Glenn Turner's) records off. If you can break a record that's stood for a few years, you mark your place in history, so the more the better."

Scoreboard after the first day of the second and final cricket test between New Zealand and India:


New Zealand

First innings

M Richardson not out 102

L Vincent lbw b Kumble 106

S Styris not out 7

Extras (13b, 16lb, 1w, 2nb) 32

Total (for 1 wkt, 90 overs) 247

Fall: 231 (Vincent).

Bowling: Z Khan 18-7-62-0 (1nb, 1w), L Balaji 17-7-39-0 (1nb), S Tendulkar 9-3-12-0, A Kumble 28-10-57-1, H Singh 17-3-48-0, V Sehwag 1-1-0-0.

- NZPA