Cricket: At last NZ have a bit of mongrel in them

By Richard Boock

HAMILTON - The dog has made a welcome return to the New Zealand cricket team's dressing-room.

The mongrel, that is.

The Kiwi's third consecutive series win at home, achieved yesterday after the third Bank of New Zealand test against India ended in a draw, underlined a quality that had been a tad inconspicuous in recent summers - the national tradition of fighting.

Coach Steve Rixon has been pleading for it, going as far as to quote Australians famous for their "mongrel" in the hope that it would spur his players into action.

Even Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy got a mention.

But after watching players such as Chris Cairns, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori perform match-saving or winning deeds over the past two test matches, Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming believes the dog has come home.

"We're still developing as a team but the fighting quality is the most satisfying aspect to emerge from the series win," Fleming said afterwards.

"Dion has excelled in this area.

"He's turned the game around a number of times, along with Chris and Daniel.

"We've been wanting to see the fight. We call it the dog, and it was good to see it in this series."

New Zealand still had some fighting in front of them when they resumed yesterday morning at 323 for six, but a century to Cairns and game battling from Nash and Vettori soon quashed any fears of a collapse, and it was only the question of a declaration that remained uncertain.

Nash and Cairns added 147 for the seventh wicket before Nash was run out for 63, and Vettori again showed his usefulness in the tail with an entertaining 43 off 50 balls.

Cairns ended on 126, his highest test score and his second test century, and when he was finally dismissed just after lunch, Fleming decided to pull the pin, declaring the innings closed at 464 for eight.

He said he waited as long as did because New Zealand were one-up in the series and did not need to risk losing the match, because the pitch had not deteriorated to any great extent, and because three of his five bowlers were struggling with their fitness.

"Everyone's pleased, but there's not the jubilation that followed the Wellington win," he said later.

"A series win is a huge achievement and I think it's still sinking in, but we've now got the one-dayers to think about."

There was time after his declaration for Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly to post unbeaten centuries against a fairly tame Kiwi attack, and also for Cairns to hit his straps at the bowling crease, something he has struggled to do all series.

Rixon said he never doubted New Zealand had the ability and mental toughness to compete with India, but was delighted with the effort in both tests.

"I always believed they had the fight in them, it's just been a matter of finding it," he said.

"It's been the missing ingredient in this side and to me, it's the key for us at the moment."

Pictured: Chris Cairns during his innings of 126. PICTURE / FOTOPRESS