Zaheer's fiver put India in drivers' seat in 3rd Test

Joseph Hoover

Wellington, Apr 4 (PTI) Zaheer Khan produced a
devastating spell of seam bowling to take five wickets as
India put themselves in drivers' seat by taking a 182 first
innings lead in the third and final cricket Test here
Saturday.

Zaheer capitalised on the bounce at the Basin Reserve
track to return with impressive figures of five for 65, his
seventh fiver, as the hosts folded up their first innings for
a paltry 197 in reply to India's 379.

The Indians were 51 for 1 in their second essay at close
of second day to have an overall lead of 233 runs, with Gautam
Gambhir (28) and Rahul Dravid (9) at the crease.

It was a disciplined bowling performance by the tourists
who kept the pressure for most part of the Kiwi innings with a
tidy line and length. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the
other successful bowler with three for 43 while pacemen Ishant
Sharma and Munaf Patel chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Visiting captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had also a busy day
as he took six catches, the most by an Indian wicketkepeer,
eclipsing Syed Kirmani's five catches.

Ross Taylor (42) and Tim McIntosh (32) were the two Kiwi
batsmen who got decent starts but none of the other batters
could hang around for long on a day which was completely
dominated by Dhoni and his men.

With three full days left in the game, the Indians will
now look to take a mammoth lead and press for their first Test
series triumph on New Zealand soil in 41 yrs.

As in the first two Tests in Hamilton and Napier, New
Zealand began their first innings 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 the post-lunch session at 64 for two, 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.

Earlier, India resumed their first innings at overnight
375 for nine but lasted barely 13 balls before folding 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 Friday, finished
with figures of 25.1-3-98-4. The 34-year-old has so far bagged
11 wickets in the series. PTI JH
DEP