Feature

Defeated, but with their pride restored

This will count as another series defeat after the Bangladesh debacle, but New Zealand defied expectations and were worthy opponents

Sriram Veera
24-Nov-2010
The pre-series predictions suggested New Zealand will roll over and surrender. They nearly won the first Test and comfortably saved the second. Daniel Vettori then said they will be judged on how they fared in the third Test. They froze. The final-day collapse on a turning track was understandable but the first-day debacle was surprising. Overall, though, they enhanced their reputation.
Tim McIntosh
Despite a century, he finished with an average of 27.16. It's a huge step forward, though, considering he collected a pair of ducks in the first Test. There are glaring weaknesses in his technique, of course, but his grit stands out as well. His best shot was a deliciously nonchalant pick-up for a six over midwicket against Pragyan Ojha in the second Test. His captain counted him as one of the positives from the tour.
Brendon McCullum
It was a fantastic series for him. This was his first as a regular opener but he batted like a veteran. The shot-selections were top notch and the determination he showed when scoring 225 and batted for 543 minutes in the second Test was a revelation. Further proof came in the third when he suffered a back-spasm and staggered out to bat amid a New Zealand collapse and put up a stiff resistance.
Martin Guptill
He replaced BJ Watling in the second Test and hit a patient 85 in the first innings but it was his tireless fielding that stood out. He ran all over the park in the last two Tests and saved several runs. His defining image was as a substitute in the first Test: He dived full length to his left at mid-off and flicked an accurate throw to run out Sehwag that opened up the game for New Zealand. Chris Martin nearly won it for them.
BJ Watling
A forgettable tour. He just played one Test; out for 6 in the first innings and not out on 2 in the second. He was quickly replaced by Guptill.
Ross Taylor
It was a poor series by his standards - just an average of 27.20. He got starts but rarely converted them. There were couple of soft dismissals - tamely flicking to midwicket, a lazy waft outside off - and two good deliveries from Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma. Just when he looked good for a fight in the final innings, he got an umpiring howler.
Jesse Ryder
He was New Zealand's best batsman. The proof came in the final innings of the series. While the rest struggled to come to terms with the turning ball, he looked at relative ease. He oozed serenity. With his short back lift and precise footwork, he kept the Indians at bay. Welcome back Ryder.
Kane Williamson
The find of the tour. He looked compact and played as someone who thought he belonged at this level. The risk, though, is of being overhyped. We will have to wait and see how he plays on tougher tracks than the one dished out in this series.
Daniel Vettori
He outdid the Indian spinners in the first two Tests and didn't get to bowl in favourable conditions in the third Test. His Test bowling has been always steady, without ever being spectacular, and he continued to operate at that level. His batting was a bit disappointing, though. The shot-selections were questionable and he ended up with an average of 18.20.
Gareth Hopkins
The wicketkeeping wasn't entirely spotless and his batting average was 11.00. At 34, his Test future is at the crossroads.
Jeetan Patel
He played only the first Test, picked up three wickets in the first innings that included the prize scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, and went wicketless in the second innings. Patel was obviously a huge crowd favourite, in Ahmedabad, and got loud cheers whenever he was a boundary rider.
Hamish Bennett and Brent Arnel
: Bennett bowled with pace but went wicketless in the first innings of the only Test he played. He limped out of the series with an injury. Arnel played in the second Test and didn't get a wicket and was replaced by Andy McKay in the third.
Andy McKay
It's a surprise he didn't play more than just one Test. He looked the part at this level and seemed to know what he was doing. He was accurate and bowled with a plan. He put in a probing spell against Gautam Gambhir and removed Tendulkar. He showed a sense of humour by later apologising to the crowd for taking Tendulkar's wicket.
Tim Southee
He bowled good spells intermittently and sparkled with his lower-order hitting. He showed some aggression with a bumper barrage against Sreesanth. He later even bounced Tendulkar and struck a couple of body blows. He was also guilty of bowling poor spells in the middle and lacked consistency.
Chris Martin
He has already developed a cult following for his batting but questions hovered over his bowling before this series. He said he will decide on his retirement based on how well he enjoys his bowling in this series. And he breathed life into a seemingly dead match with a terrific spell in the first Test. He knocked out the Indian top order and it took a fine effort from Laxman and Harbhajan Singh to save the Test for India. He is just ten wickets short of his stated goal of taking 200 Test wickets.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo