Unlikely pair hit high notes for gritty New Zealand

The odds on Tim McIntosh and Martin Guptill resisting India were as high as it was for the New Zealand team before this series started. But like in the first Test, the visitors found their men when the situation demanded efforts of substance.

The odds on Tim McIntosh and Martin Guptill resisting India were as high as it was for the New Zealand team before this series started. But like in the first Test, the visitors found their men when the situation demanded efforts of substance.

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With Brendon McCullum gone and Sreesanth asking uncomfortable questions by getting the new ball to swing and jump, it was crucial for New Zealand that the left-right combination did something they were not known for.

In an 11-Test career, Guptill made 24, 18, 35 and 28 in the two Tests he played away from home, in Sri Lanka last year. McIntosh made 69, 0, 5 and 7 in those games and bagged a pair in the only other away Test he played in a total of 13, in Ahmedabad.

So, in terms of experience and returns, the two had very little to suggest that they could survive for long against a strong Indian attack.

It was a test of skill, application and resolve, which they cleared with flying colours.