India claim historic series win

12 April 2012

India are celebrating their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 after the third Test against the Black Caps ended in a draw.

The final day of the last Test of the series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington was disrupted by bad weather allowing the hosts to salvage a draw after being set an impossible target of 617 runs for victory.

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 two hours 20 minutes later at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19.

India win the series 1-0 following their comprehensive 10-wicket win in Hamilton and the draw in Napier.

They were on course for another emphatic victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Black Caps out for 197.

Skipper MS Dhoni declared their second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a mammoth run chase they never looked likely to achieve.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42. Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were New Zealand's chief tormentors, although Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was lucrative with the little master taking 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.

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