Tendulkar's class not enough to hold off New Zealand fightback

Just when it seemed India would take the Super Max international off New Zealand in Christchurch tonight, Andre Adams produced a fine two overs to carry the Max Blacks to a 21-run win.

Adams ended the game with five wickets for 33 runs off his four overs, including three for 15 in his two overs in the second innings.

The night may have been chilly, but the drizzle held off and the two sides did battle in superb style in front of a crowd of 10,005.

The crowd were treated to the genius of Sachin Tendulkar, whose first innings of 72 off 27 balls demonstrated the brilliance of his batting, and helped him gain the man of the match award. It didn't matter that he had never played the game before. He took to it just as would be expected of a player of his stature, with all the class of a champion.

It didn't take him long to find the lucrative Max zone behind the bowler and he plundered the bowling as Tama Canning and Jacob Oram went for 25 runs each off successive overs.

To further magnify the undoubted quality he brings to any match, he took five wickets for 55 runs, including twice picking up the prized wicket of New Zealand captain Chris Cairns, both to catches made right on the boundary.

Shiv Sunder Das was another key man for India on the night, hitting 25 off 13 in the first innings and 28 off 19 as India attempted to lift its scoring rate as it chased for victory. However, he clubbed a ball in the region of point on the boundary where Scott Styris took the third of his catches in the innings.

New Zealand were not without moments to admire also as Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan combined in a second-wicket stand of 72 runs in short time in New Zealand's first innings.

There was also the sight of the potential in Brendon McCullum with his second innings 60 off 28 balls. He had only the one innings in the game as he shared the wicket-keeping honours with fellow wicket-keeper Chris Nevin who had scored 18 off 10 balls in his only innings.

What made McCullum's effort all the more important was that New Zealand lost Astle, McMillan and Cairns, when they started their innings 10 runs behind the Indians. It needed one batsman to play a key innings and McCullum did that.

He should not have done his prospects of some further international play this summer any harm either.

Canning chimed in with some useful support at just the right time with two sixes in his innings of 15 off five balls.

But it was ironic in a game made for batsmen, that it was the New Zealand bowlers who closed down the Indian batsmen to secure the win.

At the start of the second innings as India sought the 109 for victory, it was Oram who found the right length to contain Tendulkar and then as he tried to hit his way out of trouble, Styris held the chance at mid-wicket.

Then, as India tried to do the almost impossible and score 44 in the last three overs, Adams and Paul Hitchcock closed them down so that at the end they were 22 runs short of success.

Hitchcock, making his first international appearance in New Zealand took one for 16 in the second innings to end with three for 40 for the game.

Indian captain for the night V V S Laxman said his side had found the game "quite exciting although it is tough on the bowlers.

"Initially, we bowled really well because it was hard not knowing much about the fielding plan needed.

"Sachin played an amazing innings and he's obviously the best batsman in the world.

"The game was very useful for the one-day series ahead but it was difficult to judge the New Zealanders from this. Shane Bond is obviously a quality bowler.

"We know we are up against a quality team but we know that if we play up to our best we can beat any side in the world," he said.

"It was a very good effort without knowing how it is played," he said.