A bird's eye view of first Test

Chris Cairns

March 12, 2001

Having spent the last four days of the first Test match as a commentator I have had a bird's eye view of what was, until the last morning, a very topsy-turvy game.

There was a lot of debate at the beginning of the game about the new portable wicket being used while the wicket had very little preparation time, the concept is one that should be applauded and is definitely the way forward for cricket because of the fact we share our stadiums with rugby.

This wicket has been good but Stephen Fleming indicated of all times he has lost the toss he would not have minded losing this one!

Just on the wicket, I saw an article where Tony Harris the groundsman at Jade Stadium said that he hadn't been consulted at all about this Eden Park Portable which I found a little bemusing as Jade has been using this technology for a good few years now.

Surely you want as much input and information to produce the best outcome for players and spectators.

The decision to bowl first by Flem is one I would've done also.

The Pakistani's had just come off a series loss in the one dayers and been comprehensively beaten by NZ A in Lincoln and morale would've been low.

There were some opportunities that weren't taken by the Black Caps that cost them dearly and if they had of been taken, where New Zealand find themselves now could have been drastically different.

Both innings saw brilliant innings by Younis Khan.

I hadn't seen this young man play before but, now having scored three centuries and a 90 in just 10 Tests, he is paving an excellent record and looks set to cement a permanent place on the Pakistani team, if ever there is such a thing.

He can play all around the wicket and while being a free player, a stroke maker, he was very entertaining and his innings in the second innings set up Pakistan for victory.

There is a lot of cricket going on around the world at the moment but all eyes must be focused on the WI where the great fast bowler Courtney Walsh closes in on 500 Test wickets. He's taken two more wickets to move to 496. The next innings? I bet he hopes so.

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