India vs New Zealand: Hadlee, Bracewell and a Kiwi heist at Wankhede Stadium | Cricket News


MUMBAI: The iconic Wankhede Stadium will bring back happy memories for New Zealand cricket fans.
Almost exactly 33 years back – on November 29, 1988 -a bunch led by John Wright, who later went on to become India’s first foreign coach, did what was then unthinkable too – beat India in India when it downed a Dilip Vengsarkar-captained India by 136 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.
While Richard Hadlee – one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time – was one of the key architects of the stunning win with a superb match haul of 10 wickets (6-49 & 4-39), the surprise hero of the triumph was little-known off-spinner John Bracewell, who not only took eight wickets in the match (2-81 & 6-51), but chipped in with valuable knocks of 52 & 32. His 76-run partnership rescued the Kiwis from 158 for eight on Day One, taking them to 236. After India replied with 234, New Zealand did even better with 279, setting India a target of 282. Bracewell then spun the hosts out for merely 145. The only other Test New Zealand have managed to win in India came back in 1969 at Nagpur.
In the previous Test at Bangalore, Hadlee had gone past Ian Botham‘s 374-wicket haul to become the then leading wicket-taker in Tests.
For Vengsarkar, it was a case of a special occasion spoilt, since it was his landmark 100th Test. “Since we’d won the first Test comfortably, I guess that once they slumped to 158 for eight in the first innings, a sense of complacency crept in. But then, Hadlee was an all-time great pacer. He was outstanding in that game. He was ably supported by Bracewell. Since it was my 100th Test, which I was playing in front of my home crowd, losing that Test was disappointing. Eventually, we fought back to win the final Test in Hyderabad,” Vengsarkar told TOI.
“Hadlee was a terror with the ball in both Tests at Bangalore and Mumbai in that series. Both venues had red soil and he took advantage of the good bounce and carry on those wickets. He was a master, a king of swing bowling,” recalled former India wicketkeeper Kiran More.
Vengsarkar, though, was dismissed by Bracewell in both innings, for 25 & a duck. “In the first innings, I went to attack him, but was caught at mid-wicket. In the second innings, I played him off the back foot – I never played an off-spinner off the back foot – and was bowled,” said Vengsarkar.
More praised Bracewell’s stunning effort in that game. “He was a finger spinner, like Shivlal Yadav. He bowled superbly. He got good bounce from the wicket.”



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