Friday 27th November 2009
Martin: Win still within our grasp
Fast bowler Chris Martin still believes New Zealand can win the first Test against Pakistan despite a second-innings batting collapse.
New Zealand had slumped to 147 for eight when bad light ended play on day four and they head into the final day at University Oval in Dunedin with a lead of 244 runs.
"I think we may have let an opportunity slip today by not really batting them out of the game," Martin admitted.
"But I still think with the lead that we had (97 runs on the first innings) and the runs that we've got now the game is poised and it's definitely there for us to take."
He added: "Anything over 250 on a wearing wicket with variable bounce is going to be a big ask for them, especially if we do everything in a disciplined manner and turn up prepared to win the game.
"I think we learnt quite a lot from watching them bowl on it today.
"They put us under real pressure by bowling real straight and making us make a lot of decisions and giving us very limited opportunities to score.
"I think if we were a thoughtful side, our bowling line-up in particular, we could take a lot from that and take it into tomorrow."
While Pakistan pacemen Mohammad Asif (four for 41) and Mohammad Aamer (two for 29) caused plenty of damage - with Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Peter Fulton and Brendon McCullum all going for ducks - New Zealand were their own worst enemy at times.
Ross Taylor, who notched a second successive half-century, needlessly ran himself out on 59, while Fulton failed to have the leg before decision against him reviewed even though he suspected the ball had clipped his bat.
He trudged off and by the time his team-mates alerted him he was on the boundary edge and it was too late for third umpire Rudi Koertzen to intervene.
"He was unsure whether he'd hit the ball," Martin explained.
"It was a very fine edge and sometimes you think you hit your pad or your boot or the ground, it's hard to know.
"It's a new format and such a new part of the game that, like most things, it's going to take a while to get used to it and to get better at it.
"I think next time if you've got a hunch you'll pretty much go for it (the review)."
Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal said at the time he was not convinced Fulton had got bat to ball and he was just as unsure about which way he thought the match would pan out on the final day.
He said: "At the moment I think it's 50-50. This wicket is behaving totally different to the first two days. There is more uneven bounce."
He said the key to Pakistan's success with the ball had been bowling good line and length.
"Bowling in the channel is also important and I thought the bowlers did an excellent job," he added.
New Zealand quick Shane Bond started the day by claiming his fifth five-wicket bag when he and Martin wrapped up the Pakistan tail and Akmal, who combined with his younger brother Umar in a 176-run stand in Pakistan's first innings, felt the 34-year-old - back in the Test arena after a two-year absence - would be the dangerman again.
"He's their best bowler so playing our natural game and playing positively is going to be the best way to play against him," he said.
Grab the espnstar.com cricket widget on your favourite social network
Join us on Facebook