Zaheer Khan (4 for 46) broke New Zealand's back to power India in supreme command of the third and final Test at the Basin Reserve today morning.
New Zealand were all out for 197 in reply to India's first innings total of 379 on the second day of the third Test at the Basin Reserve today morning.
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Zaheer Khan did most of the damage for India, finishing with five for 65 and Harbhajan Singh took three for 43.
Ross Taylor topscored for New Zealand with 42.
Zaheer rattled the Kiwis with his pace and seam bowling, and the hosts, in reply to India's first innings 379, were in dire straits at 140 for seven at tea, still needing 40 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Brendon McCullum was batting on seven and Tim Southee was at the crease on one at the tea break.
Apart from Zaheer, India had wicket takers in Harbhajan Singh (3 for 43) and Ishant Sharma (1 for 47) who bowled with fire and verve in the post-lunch session.
Tim McIntosh began the mid-afternoon exodus from the park, gobbled up by Yuvraj Singh at first slip off Zaheer.
Jesse Ryder, playing his first Test in front of his home crowd, lasted barely 12 balls, slashing Zaheer to Dhoni.
Harbhajan accounted for the wickets of Ross Taylor (42) and James Fraklin (15) while Ishant sharma, slammed for a four and six over backward point by Daniel Vettori, had the last laugh when he had the Kiwi captain snaffled behind by Dhoni, who thus far has taken four catches in the innings.
As in the first two Tests in Hamilton and Napier, New Zealand began on a wobbly note, losing Martin Guptill and Daniel Flynn by the eleventh over.
Having driven Zaheer handsomely through the off for a boundary, Guptill dragged the Indian strike bowler on to his stumps. The wiry opener, who has impressed more as a fielder, made 17.
With his tail up after the early strike, Zaheer used the windy conditions to move the ball either way of the seam to have Tim McIntosh and Daniel Flynn in a spot of bother.
It wasn't long before Flynn was done in by a beauty from Zaheer, the cherry tickling his willow en route to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Flynn, who had been ruled out of the second Test at the McLean Park due to a hand injury, made just two on his return.
Resuming at their overnight 375 for nine, India lasted barely 13 balls this morning before their first innings folded up at 379.
Ishant Sharma fell for 18 to Chris Martin nicking New Zealand's most successful speedster to Brendon McCullum as he shaped to hit through the off on the up.
Munaf Patel remained unbeaten with 14.
Martin, who had accounted for the scalps of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh yesterday, finished with figures of 25.1-3-98-4. The 34-year-old has so far bagged 11 wickets in the series.
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