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There was Herath who took 8 wickets and Vettori who at number 8 scored 140 in a lost cause.
To get the record straight, this was Vettori’s fourth hundred, his highest. Good for him, he’ll get many more while his team will continue to bat themselves to defeat.
Vettori comes in after McCullum and Oram, honestly how can anyone come after McCullum? After Vettori comes the tail, Patel, O’Brien and Martin. That makes Vettori, New Zealand’s most consistent batsman for a while now, at best, a lower order batsman, the gateway to the tail.
Vettori is not only captain, he’s also a selector now, making his crime doubly serious. To call him Denial Vettori is not far from the truth – here’s a senior player who refuses to do anything about his improved performances as a batsman.
It can be argued if Vettori bats any higher he may not have the same impact, or score the same runs. If so, it can’t be any worse than the blundering McCullum or openers. Just like every tail-ender deserves a promotion based on performance, Vettori needs to bite the bullet and shove himself into the wars.
Right now he’s batting for his own records, in complete denial of his own worth as a batsman. It’s possible he’s no-good higher up, but let’s face it, he’s no good lower down.
Meanwhile Herath returns, yet again, with a five-for, displacing Mendis both from the team and the mind. Here’s to more uncertainty in cricket.
Looks like that’s what Vettori needs, somebody to challenge him as the team’s leading player. But then that’s an argument that holds good for the likes of McCullum and those nameless openers. Case reopened.
cricinfo: Daniel Vettori has scored 2002 in Tests since January 2005, at an average of 44.48. He is the highest run-scorer for New Zealand during this period. Brendon McCullum is next, with 1712 runs at an average of 30.03.
A test of left arm spinners.
Herath today, gone tomorrow.
Mendis and Herath are swapping places like car keys. Previous test Mendis played, this one Herath. While Mendis has played six tests in 2009, Herath’s played in four.
Frankly it’s a little much to be talking about Herath and Mendis, but this is the off season. There’s also been some talk of Samaraweera the Bullet here. But he’s a batsman. Herath and Mendis are spinners, one a left armer, the other, who cares, he’s not even in the team.
While Hearath made his test debut in 1999, he was out of the team for yonks. Since the Pak home series, he’s scalped 21* in four tests. In six this year Mendis has 16 wickets.
Herath has two five fors against Pakistan. Mendis, none.
Yet Mendis was picked in Herath’s place for the first test against New Zealand. Free wickets to be had, but he only picked 3 wickets. So far Herath has six at Colombo – five more to go.
Still, don’t be surprised if he’s dropped for Mendis again. But we’ll never know, by then India should be playing again.
