India cruise to win in New Zealand by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Scorecard:	New Zealand v India
Player:	Harbhajan Singh, BB McCullum, DR Flynn
Event:	India in New Zealand 2008/09

---

DateLine: 21st March 2009

 

India registered their first Test victory in New Zealand since 1976 when they beat the hosts by 10 wickets to win the first Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton. India romped to the low victory target of 39 runs in 5.2 overs with Gautam Gambhir (30) and Rahul Dravid (8) remaining not out to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Earlier, Harbhajan Singh registered his best bowling figures overseas as New Zealand were bowled out for 279 runs in their second innings to give India a victory target of 39 runs.

 

Brendon McCullum hit his 13th Test fifty before he was caught at short fine leg by VVS Laxman off Yuvraj Singh to end the New Zealand second innings. Harbhajan Singh registered his 23rd five-wicket haul before tea. Harbhajan got his fifth wicket when New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori (21) edged to his counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the catch.

 

Harbhajan got into the act soon after lunch by taking two wickets in two overs. The off-spinner took his fourth wicket when Daniel Flynn bat padded a doosra to forward short leg for Gautam Gambhir to take the catch. Flynn hit 10 fours in his 67-run knock. This was after Harbhajan induced James Franklin (14) to play away from his body and edging a flighted delivery to backward point for Munaf Patel to take the catch.

 

Earlier, Daniel Flynn and Franklin took New Zealand to lunch at 146/5 after Harbhajan dismissed first innings centurion Jesse Ryder to reduce New Zealand to 132/5. Coming round the wicket, Harbhajan trapped Ryder plumb in front of the wicket, with a delivery that straightened after pitching and hit his left leg. Ryder hit a six and 2 fours in his 21-run knock. This was after Daniel Flynn hit his third half-century to take New Zealand to 128/4. Flynn reached his fifty just before Munaf Patel had Ross Taylor (4) caught at wide third slip by Virender Sehwag to reduce New Zealand to 110/4.

 

The day's play started with Flynn and Taylor resuming the New Zealand second innings at 75/3.