Cricket: NZ to rely on pace attack

COLOMBO - New Zealand are reliant on their bowlers engineering an unlikely salvage job after an inexplicable batting performance threatened to earn the side an unwanted footnote of one-day cricket history at R Premadasa Stadium here tonight.

After making a painstaking 155 in 46.3 overs against India once Daniel Vettori did his part by winning a crucial toss, New Zealand's hopes of Tri-Series survival hinges on the pace bowling trio of Shane Bond, Ian Butler and Kyle Mills.

They must atone for a substandard effort from the strokemakers or New Zealand will become the first team in 12 matches -- and almost two years -- to lose at Premadasa after winning the toss and batting first.

India require 156 at a gentle 3.12 per over to become the first team since England in October 2007 to mount a successful run chase.

The English got their required 212 against Sri Lanka with five wickets in hand.

An Indian victory also eliminates New Zealand from the tournament following their 97-run thumping by Sri Lanka on Tuesday and sets up an all-subcontinent final on Monday after their preliminary match tomorrow.

Although India are missing injured openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, the quality of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid remains -- the latter resuming his 333-match ODI career after a two-year break.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's incorrect call looked increasingly irrelevant as New Zealand's embarked on yet another agonising batting performance pock-marked with promising starts and premature ends.

Five batsmen passed 20 and captain Vettori top scored with 25, illustrating New Zealand's failure to get to grips with a familiar pitch and a bowling attack emerging from a three-month hibernation.

Only Grant Elliott was absolved from blame, as his attempt at anchoring the innings was ended on 22 by a poor decision by Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena.

Elliott was given out to a leg side catch despite replays showing Yuvraj Singh's delivery brushed the pad before he made a half-hearted appeal.

After Elliott's unfortunate demise Jacob Oram and Neil Broom joined the list of self-inflicted casualties as New Zealand struggled to post a competitive score before India faced what is traditionally a forlorn chase under lights.

The capture of wickets as early as the third ball of the New Zealand innings suggest an under-strength India may not be taxed.

Jesse Ryder triggered a standard collapse when he was leg before wicket for a second ball duck for the second time in the tournament.

In a mirror-image of his demise against Sri Lanka, Ryder was crease bound and attempting to play a ball from Ashish Nehra square when rapped on the pad in front of leg stump.

Nehra bowled an identical angle to fellow left armer Thilan Thushara to continue Ryder's disappointing tour.

Brendon McCullum exited in Nehra's next over and became the 77-match veteran's 100th ODI scalp when he was also leg before wicket playing across the line for three from nine balls.

New Zealand then slumped to 19 for three in the sixth over when Ross Taylor's streaky 11 from 15 balls ended when he legitimately edged RP Singh to an outstretched Dhoni's gloves.

Martin Guptill and Elliott added 32 for the fourth wicket before Yuvraj struck with his sixth ball.

Guptill, on 22, stabbed the delivery low down to Dravid at slip to give the recalled veteran his first ODI catch since he played Australia at Nagpur in October 2007.

Allrounder Oram was deceived by Ishant Sharma's change of pace and chipped back to the bowler for 24 while Broom (21 from 28) gifted Yuvraj instant success in his second spell when he clipped tamely to Suresh Raina at mid wicket.

Yuvraj closed with three for 31 from 10 overs of his left arm spin and Nehra took three for 24 while fellow pace bowlers Sharma (2-26) and RP Singh (2-22) kept the heat -- and runs -- to a premium.

- NZPA