Bangalore: The game of cricket is fast becoming a thinking sport (not just bowlers) and must have witnessed the highest number of innovations by the players in recent times and one such incident was witnessed by the millions of viewers during the India-New Zealand Test match at Wellington.
If the paddle sweep is considered a run-fetching shot in both One-Day and Twenty20 format, what New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum did to outsmart Indian batsman Rahul Dravid was something out of this world during the third day of the third and final Test at Wellington.
The plucky Kiwi stumper showed his alertness and agility when he smartly moved to the leg slip position to snap up Dravid, who tired to paddle sweep New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori when on 60.
In fact the rival players' involvement in the game has become so much intense that both McCullum and the first slip fielder Ross Taylor anticipated Dravid's intentions and were seen moving to the leg side whenever Dravid tired the paddle sweep but on the last occasion McCullum succeeded in outsmarting 'The Wall'.
However, their planning might have come too late in the series as the Indians are all set to wrap it up 2-0 and the former Indian skipper had already done enough damage with a century partnership for the second wicket with in-form opener Gautam Gambhir (167).
At the end of the third day the tourists are in a strong position with a 531-run lead with still five second innings wickets in tact.
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