October 9, 2003	Thursday	Sha’aban 12, 1424

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AHMEDABAD (India), Oct 8: Rahul Dravid struck his 15th Test hundred to help a subdued India reach 249 for three wickets in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old batsman hit a chanceless 110 not out in India’s first Test for almost a year to make amends for Sachin Tendulkar’s cheap dismissal after captain Saurav Ganguly had chosen to bat first on a good pitch.

Dravid shared in a 115-run unbroken fourth wicket partnership with Vangipurappu Laxman, who was unbeaten on 56 after he was promoted up the order ahead of Ganguly.

He cut fast bowler Daryl Tuffey to cover for his 12th four to reach his fourth century against New Zealand before raising his bat to the applauding crowd and his team mates.

New Zealand, determined to shine at the start of what has been dubbed the “revenge series” after routing India 2-0 at home last year, bowled and fielded purposefully until Dravid and Laxman stepped up scoring in the final overs.

New Zealand held a slender advantage in the afternoon after support seamer Scott Styris gave the tourists a huge breakthrough by removing Tendulkar.

The master batsman edged a clever slow, wide delivery to Nathan Astle at slip after left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori had tested him with a line outside leg-stump.

Frustrated, Tendulkar drove a Styris delivery away from the body to be caught in the slips, much to the disappointment of nearly 5,000 spectators who braved the heat and dust in anticipation of a long knock from their idol.

“It is one thing to do it in New Zealand and quite another to do it in his own country,” a jubilant Styris said of Tendulkar’s dismissal.

“We were a bit astounded to get him out like that. One more wicket in the end and it would have been our day. Our fielding fell away towards the end.”

Tendulkar was playing his first international game since finishing as the highest run-getter with 673 runs in this year’s World Cup, having undergone hand surgery in April.

But Dravid, who last year scored five centuries including four in a row to finish among the top Test run-getters in 2002, first added 72 runs for the second wicket with debutant opener Aakash Chopra.

He cut and drove both Tuffey and Vettori for early fours before smashing paceman Jacob Oram through extra cover to enter the 90’s.

“It was nice to start the new season with a hundred,” said Dravid, the Indian vice-captain. “I guess making a century becomes a kind of a habit.

“Our plan is to bat once and bat big. It is a slow wicket which will make it very hard for the bowlers.”

“The game was in the balance at 134-3, but Laxman did just great,” he added.

“He and I have been batting together in junior cricket for a long time, so we know each other’s game well and he keeps my concentrating going.

“The score was par for the day.”

Tuffey had struck early by trapping opener Virender Sehwag leg before for a breezy 29, although TV replays suggested the ball would have missed leg-stump.

Vettori, seen as New Zealand’s main weapon on turning tracks in India, struck after lunch by having Chopra caught and bowled for 42.

Chopra, who made his Test debut alongside young paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji, played cautiously but Vettori foxed him in the air and gleefully took a firm drive back to him.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings):

A. Chopra c and b Vettori 42

V. Sehwag lbw b Tuffey 29

R.S. Dravid not out 110

S.R. Tendulkar c Astle b Styris 8

V.V.S. Laxman not out 56

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-1) 4

TOTAL (for three wkts, 90 overs) 249

FALL OF WKTS: 1-35, 2-107, 3-134.

TO BAT: S.C. Ganguly, P.A. Patel, Harbhajan Singh, A.R. Kumble, Zaheer Khan, L. Balaji.

BOWLING (to-date): Tuffey 21-3-77-1; Oram 22-7-50-0 (1nb); Styris 15-4-41-1; Vettori 23-6-64-1; McMillan 4-1-6-0; Wiseman 5-0-8-0.

NEW ZEALAND: M.H. Richardson, L. Vincent, S.P. Fleming, N.J. Astle, C.D. McMillan, S.B. Styris, R.G. Hart, J.D.P. Oram, D.L. Vettori, P.J. Wiseman, D.R. Tuffey.

UMPIRES: R.E. Keortzen (South Africa) and D.R. Shepherd (England).

TV UMPIRE: I. Sivaram (India).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—Reuters/AFP