India - New Zealand Series

India v New Zealand, Ist Test: Day 4 India win by ten wickets

India broke a 33-year drought when a six-wicket haul by Harbhajan Singh spun them to a 10-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test on Saturday.

Harbhajan’s 6-63 wizardry, following an iconic 160 by Sachin Tendulkar, formed the cornerstone of India’s first Test success in New Zealand since 1976.

They wrapped the game up with more than a day to spare after New Zealand were all out in their second innings for 279, and India knocked off the required 39 runs in 5.2 overs. With their overnight total of 75/3, New Zealand’s Ross Taylor walked in to replace Kyle Mills, who was removed by Munaf Patel on the last ball of the third day’s play, along with Daniel Flynn resumed batting on the crucial fourth day. The hosts were then trailing by 166 runs with seven wickets in their pocket.

Brendon McCullum kept the Test alive longer than expected with a fighting 84 at the New Zealand tail, but it had been a lopsided match from day one when the hosts’ top order crashed to 60/6 on a benign wicket.

In reply to hosts’ first innings total of 279 runs, India were all out for 520 runs with a lead of 241 runs. Tendulkar led Indian batting’s motivated performance.

Tags: First Test, India, new zealand