Shane Bond, with four wickets, was the undoubted star of the New Zealand bowling show on day three. If Chris Cairns was missed, it certainly didn't show as India were routed by Bond's blistering opening spell. His burst of 3 for 8 just before lunch sparked off the debacle and it was only fitting that he came back to finish it off with the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar.

Of the 81 balls he bowled, 70 were pitched on or outside off stump. He varied his length according to the batsman he was confronted with. Of the 35 short-pitched deliveries he bowled, 15 were directed at Tendulkar and the last one worked a treat. But as VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly would testify, this was no bouncer barrage, with 32 balls pitching on a good length. He bowled just the one yorker but Rahul Dravid, for one, won't forget it in a rush.

Though Tendulkar struck four boundaries off his bowling, it was Bond who clearly won their mini-battle. He forced Tendulkar into an uncontrolled stroke seven times, as opposed to 21 shots played with any measure of authority - an in-control percent of just 75. Not many bowlers can claim to have done that.

Bond finished with seven wickets for the match, and the extra yard of pace at his disposal frequently harried the batsmen into indiscretions. The batting strength that India boast of centres around the so-called Four Musketeers and Bond got them, six out of eight. Enough said.

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor, Wisden.com India

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