Historic series win India after 41 year

India claimed their first Test series victory in New Zealand since 1968 after rain forced the third and final Test to end in a draw on Tuesday.

Bad weather disrupted the final day of the last Test of the series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, allowing the hosts to pick up a draw after being set an improbable target of 617 runs for victory.


As the visitors looked all set to register a 2-0 series victory, the weather refused to relent. The rain forced the teams off 30 minutes into the afternoon session with New Zealand 281 for eight, still 336 runs short, and play was finally called off at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

India won the first Test in Hamilton by 10 wickets, with the second Test at McLean Park ending in a draw after India batted for the final two days to save the game.

They were heading for another thumping victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Kiwis out for 197. Captain MS Dhoni declared India's second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a huge run chase they never looked likely to accomplish.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42. It was Taylor s fourth Test century and second in successive Tests after he scored 151 in the drawn second Test in Napier. Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

The Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh proved to be New Zealand's nemeses, although part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was rewarding. The little master took two wickets for 26 runs in his six-over spell before lunch.

Khan finished with match figures of seven for 122 off 37.3 overs after taking five for 65 in the first innings. Harbhajan ended with seven for 102 off 56 overs after taking four for 59 in New Zealand's second innings.

The final day s play began half an hour early following Monday's early finish. Taylor and Franklin resumed batting in cold, blustery conditions. The pair added a further 59 runs to the overnight score of 167 for four before Taylor was bowled by Harbhajan for 107.

The pair put on 142 runs in total, the highest fifth-wicket partnership by New Zealanders against India. Taylor brought up his fourth Test century with a four down fine leg - his fourth boundary of the morning and 15th in total. But two overs later he was cleaned bowled by Harbhajan to leave New Zealand on 226 for five, still needing 391 to win.

Soon Brendon McCullum followed suit with only six runs in his pocket, caught by Rahul Dravid off the bowling of Sachin Tendulkar, although TV replays appeared to show the ball missing the edge of the bat.

The Kiwi vice-captain would have been out for a duck if Munaf Patel had not missed the catch at mid-off a few overs earlier.

All-rounder James Franklin too could not survive the Tendulkar spell and was trapped leg before wicket while one run short of his third half-century.

At lunch the hosts got to 254 for seven, still needing 363 more to win. Tim Southee survived 13 balls before being given out caught behind by Dhoni off Harbhajan for three.

Iain O'Brien was the next man in and Tendulkar was deprived of another wicket as the tailender was dropped by Ishant Sharma at square leg. Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19 when the rain arrived to spare New Zealand the embarrassment.

Ponting vows to retain number one status

JOHANNESBURG: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Tuesday vowed that his inexperienced side would do all it can to hang on to their number onespot when they take on South Africa in the Test series, starting on February 26.

A series win for the Proteas in the three-match series will topple Australia from the top spot for the first time in almost six years but Ponting warned the hosts to expect a fight to the finish to maintain their number one status.

In case of a draw or a win of the series by Australia, Ponting's side will retain the numero uno status.

"Anyone who plays an individual or team sport wants to be recognised as being the best. It's what playing international sport is all about.

"We've been good enough over a long period of time to hang on to this trophy, we know what it takes to hang on to it and we know what it will take over the next few weeks to hang on to it again," Ponting, holding the ICC Test Championship mace, said at a press conference after reaching here from Sydney with his squad.

"(Being number one) does mean a lot to us, it's something we've never taken for granted and it's not meant we've haven't worked as hard as any other team. What's made us stand out is that while we've been recognised as number one we've tried to train as if we're number two. We'll continue to try to do that here," he added.

Australia arrived in South Africa off the back of a first home Test series loss in 16 years, the 1-2 defeat inflicted upon them by South Africa, but Ponting said they have faced a similar situation after losing the Ashes in 2005.

"I look on it a bit like the 2005 Ashes (against England) when we lost there for the first time in a long time. From there we went back to Australia, regrouped and worked hard as a team.

"It meant England came to Australia as favourites, all the expectation and pressure was on them and they didn't live up to it. We'll get stuck into work, make sure we're in the best possible shape for the first game and see where we go from there," he added.

Asked whether his side were going into the series as underdogs, Ponting said, "I had it told to me that we were going away as underdogs. The expectation in South Africa is high and so it should be as they played some excellent cricket in Australia a few weeks ago. That's what makes this series so big and so enjoyable for us," he said.

The Australian team will play a three-day warm-up match at Potchefstroom before the first Test on February 26.

The other two Tests will be played in Durban (March 6-10) and Cape Town (March 19-23).

The Test Championship mace has been in Australia's hands for all but five months (January-May 2003, when South Africa topped the table) since it was inaugurated in May 2001.

Newzeland skipper worry of India's hard-hitting batsmen

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori says the prospect of facing Indian big-hitters like Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the upcoming home series is "pretty scary" as it will be tough to contain them on the small grounds."Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag batting on the little grounds in New Zealand is pretty scary," the left-arm orthodox bowler said.However, Vettori is seeking comfort from India's past record here.

"You balance that with them being notorious for not touring New Zealand all that well," he said.

Vettori said he is also hoping to take some positives out of the drawn One-day series against Australia.

New Zealand could claim moral victory though Ricky Ponting's men retained the Chappell Hadlee Trophy after the series finished 2-2 with the decider being washed out.

"It's (India series) going to be huge backing up after Australia, but hopefully we can take confidence into the series," Vettori was quoted as saying by the 'New Zealand Herald'.

The left-arm orthodox spinner also expressed satisfaction with the way the newcomers have performed.

"I'm happy these guys keep turning up and performing. You throw the likes of Scott Styris, Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram to come back into the mix, then we've got a nice group of 15-16 (to choose from)."

India start their New Zealand tour with two Twenty20 internationals starting February 25 before taking on the hosts in five One-dayers and three Tests.
The last time India toured New Zealand six years ago they went down 0-2 in Tests and lost the One-day series 2-5. But India's current form in all three forms of the game has Vettori worried and he said stopping Dhoni and Sehwag could turn into a nightmare for his bowlers.

"You look at the individual players and some of the world's best are coming," Vettori said.