Cricket: Thompson guns for glory as NZ aim left

Ewen Thompson has been called back into the NZ team. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand have looked left in their quest to shut down India's formidable batting contingent in tomorrow's important fourth ODI in Hamilton.

The selectors have recalled left-arm medium pacer Ewen Thompson into a 12 from which fast-medium bowlers Ian Butler and Tim Southee are omitted, along with spare batsman Neil Broom.

In Butler's case, he has a strain at the top of a thigh and there are hopes he'll be fit to return for the fifth and final game at a sold out Eden Park on Saturday. He has been New Zealand's best fast-medium performer since returning to the national side last month,

But if the series is to be squared, New Zealand must win in Hamilton so the selectors have turned to Thompson, whose only international experience was a tidy effort in the second Twenty20 against the West Indies on the same ground at the end of December.

At that time, selection panel head Glenn Turner admitted they thought of Thompson more in the Twenty20 light than 50-over format. However, he's kept taking wickets, and his ability to mix his pace up, plus being a lefthander, might offer something for the Indians to think about.

"He keeps posting good numbers and he can open the bowling," Turner said last night. "He's got the most wickets in first-class cricket this season before this last round [17 at 21.8]. Against England A this week he went for a few but he took six wickets.

"You've got someone bowling in the low 120s

[120km/h] who is not anticipated as a strike bowler but keeps getting people out."

Southee suffered more than anyone as India rampaged through their 50 overs in Christchurch on Sunday, going for 105 in his 10 overs as India put up 392 for four in winning by 58 runs.

"He's got to get some bowling workloads in and obviously his confidence will be down a bit, more than most. We're giving him a chance to get back and sort a few things out," Turner added.

Two others who warranted plenty of discussion were Thompson's Central Districts teammate, Brendon Diamanti, a medium pacer and strong lower order batsman who clubbed 135 not out off Canterbury at Rangiora yesterday, and Northern Districts' fast-medium Brent Arnel.

Arnel, who is uncapped and has largely sailed beneath the national radar, took 17 wickets at an impressive 20.76, with an economy rate of 4.51 an over in the one-day State Shield, but throwing him to the Indian sharks for his debut was deemed a stretch.

"We've had some difficulties with our bowling not being able to meet their zones as well as we'd hoped. Against very strong opposition that's been a bit exposed so obviously we're hoping for improvement in that area," Turner added.

Captain Dan Vettori returns after the birth of his first child, a son, yesterday and Peter McGlashan will retain the wicketkeeper gloves, most likely for the rest of the ODI series as Brendon McCullum's bruised right thumb recovers.

Indian star Sachin Tendulkar is an unlikely starter tomorrow after straining a stomach muscle in his dazzling 163 in Christchurch.

* NZ squad

Dan Vettori (c), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Ewen Thompson, Peter McGlashan, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien.