Daryl Tuffey will enjoy better days than that he experienced at Ahmedabad today, in fact he has enjoyed them, most notably against India in New Zealand last year

Lynn McConnell09-Oct-2003Daryl Tuffey will enjoy better days than that he experienced at Ahmedabad today, in fact he has enjoyed them, most notably against India in New Zealand last year. But the fine line between success and missed chances was never more apparent than on the first day of the series in India.It was always going to be toughest for the fast-medium brigade. That’s the way it has always been in India. Not having the shock value of Shane Bond compounded the situation. But Tuffey made his point. A player who in the past has been labelled a slow starter and less than effective in overseas conditions, he showed that with maturity has come consistency. He did his bit, and bowled to his plan in the first half of the day. But if he creates the chances, all he can do is hope that they go to hand.They didn’t today. Virender Sehwag dropped on the third man boundary by Craig McMillan with the ball going for six, Akash Chopra dropped by Robbie Hart. Fortunately for the offenders, neither lasted long enough to create problems and there was a catch-up when Sehwag was given out leg before wicket. But the man the Indians were keen to show could only perform on New Zealand wicket types like those of last summer, won his own battle to show that he was deserving of greater respect.Jacob Oram, too showed commendable adherence to the plan. The unity of purpose in the side’s attack was obvious. Stephen Fleming, the captain directing operations on the field, and having a fair say off, has become identifiable as one of those leaders who likes to work on his opponents – assessing, probing and executing. It can mean some field placements that test the descriptions provided in the MCC Coaching Manual, but it was only by mere fractions that New Zealand weren’t better placed by the end of the day.The last session was memorable for India as the New Zealand competitiveness waned in the heat and the patient batsmen had their reward. As it is so often when New Zealand meet India nowadays, it was Rahul Dravid who bridged the gap between the breakthrough, when Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were dismissed, and safety and security in an ongoing partnership of 115 runs with VVS Laxman. Dravid has scored 801 runs in eight Tests against New Zealand, with an average of 64.57 in New Zealand as opposed to 58.16 in India, although at the start of today’s Test his home average was 39.83. The same elegance that has been his trademark throughout his career was obvious again, never more than when he was caressing the ball through the off side en route to his fourth century against New Zealand.And while both were subjected to part of “the plan” and some concentrated shorter bowling, Laxman especially, they withstood it and turned the attack back on the bowlers in crisp and authoritative style. Laxman’s pull shots showed that he had emerged from the coaching lesson Craig McMillan appeared to be delivering during his ‘short’, if you’ll pardon the double entendre, spell all the better for the experience. Certainly he revealed no effects from the constant whiplash effect of jerking his head out of the way of the ball as it passed by.In recent times the grooming of the New Zealanders in Asian countries has taken a hammering, most notably the Number One hair cuts in Sri Lanka earlier in the year, but Craig McMillan this time has opted for more hair on his face with a handlebar moustache that left him looking like an atomised Merv Hughes, and a Mohawk haircut that could only be described as Beckhamesque in effect if not delivery.With Sourav Ganguly still to come and some capable lower-order batsmen, India have left New Zealand needing to take quick wickets on the second morning or be left facing a daunting batting target when they finally get their turn.The Wisden Bulletin
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