New Zealand were saved from a terribly embarrassing score by being rescued from the depths of 6 for 60 to a respectable, if hardly intimidating, total of 279. Daniel Vettori and Ryder played well, scoring centuries each, though the latter with little help from the clueless O’Brien who almost sold his partner down the river by getting stumped out. Apparently O’Brien was looking for a single, though why he felt the need to leave his crease blows my mind.

The Kiwi’s habit of having Vettori be the superstar batsman in addition to leading the team and bowling the most overs is, to be very kind, crazy as bats. It reminds me of India in the early 1990′s, boasting the supposedly best batting lineup in the world, but having to be rescued each time by Kapil Dev and the tail to worry the scorers. New Zealand seems to be in the same state now, with Vettori and McCullum the best batsmen in the team.

The problem with these kind of rescue innings is that it diverts attention from the ineffectiveness of the players who are supposed to perform. If New Zealand wins this match, which is a real possibility, the batting collapse will be brushed under the carpet and the team never improves. And one day, the lower order does not rescue the team, there is an ignominious collapse (England’s 51), all hell breaks loose and there are no ready replacements.

In the Kiwi’s favor, maybe we should say that perhaps the wicket was sticky and India did put them in. Still it is an old story that keeps repeating, and New Zealand has to recognize that to improve as a team. Now, if they could only get Shane Bond back…