India close in on series win
India were on the brink of their first series win in New Zealand
since 1968 after the hosts lost four second-innings wickets still 450
runs short of victory in the third Test here Monday.
New Zealand were struggling at 167 for four when bad light stopped
play almost an hour early on the fourth day, after being set a massive
target of 617 to win the final Test.
India had a 1-0 lead coming into the Test at the Basin Reserve and a
draw would be enough to clinch their first series win in New Zealand for
more than four decades. Victory for New Zealand is all but out of reach,
with the highest fourth innings winning total in Test cricket history
being 418 scored by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.
New Zealand’s remaining batsmen face the imposing task of trying to
survive the final day, with forecast rain their best chance of salvaging
a draw.
WELLINGTON, Monday, AFP
India 2nd innings
G. Gambhir lbw O’Brien 167
V. Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12
R. Dravid c McCullum b Vettori 60
S. Tendulkar c Taylor b Vettori 9
VVS Laxman b O’Brien 61
Y. Singh c Taylor b Martin 40
MS Dhoni not out 56
H. Singh c Southee b Martin 0
Z. Khan not out 18
Extras (lb 5, w 1, nb 5) 11
Total 434
(7 wickets declared; 116 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Sehwag), 2-184 (Dravid), 3-208 (Tendulkar), 4-314 (Gambhir), 5-319 (Laxman), 6-397 (Yuvraj Singh), 7-397 (Harbhajan Singh).
Bowling: Southee 12-2-58-0, Martin 22-7-70-3, O’Brien 25-6-100-2, Franklin 16-3-72-0, Ryder 6-1-21-0, Vettori 35-5-108-2.
New Zealand 2nd innings
T. McIntosh c Dravid b Khan 4
M. Guptill lbw Harbhajan 49
D. Flynn b Khan 10
R. Taylor not out 69
J. Ryder c Dravid b Harbhajan 0
J. Franklin not out 26
Extras (b 6, nb 3) 9
Total 167
(four wickets; 56 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-30 (McIntosh), 2-54 (Flynn), 3-84 (Guptill), 4-84 (Ryder).
Bowling: Khan 15-4-50-2, Patel 11-4-18-0, Sharma 6-1-33-0, Harbhajan Singh 17-5-36-2, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-4-0, Sehwag 6-0-20-0. |
