| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Nagpur: Harbhajan Singh removed Tim McIntosh for 8 as New Zealand ended the day at 24/1, trailing by 349 runs. Earlier, India had declared at 566 for 8 after a classy 191 from Rahul Dravid.
It has been a day where milestones and records have been missed by the batsmen, but overall, a good day for India. The hosts started the day on 292 for 2, with a lead of 99, but all eyes were on the little master, anticipating his 50th Test ton. But he fell early this morning, followed by Laxman and Raina.
Dhoni then joined forces with Dravid and took India well ahead of the Kiwis, with a 193-run stand. However, both the batsmen fell short of their respective milestones, Dhoni misses 5th Test century caught & bowled on 98 and then misses double hundred Dravid, for a gallant 191.
Vettori continued to have a good tour with the ball, picking up 3 wickets. Having declared on a lead of 373, India then ended what had been a good day in style, with Harbhajan picking up opener McIntosh. It is an uphill task for the Kiwis tomorrow, as they trail by 349 runs with 9 wickets in hand. They have got two whole days to bat out and would be looking to take it session by session, or hour by hour, while India would be aiming to wrap up the game tomorrow.
Rahul Dravid notched up his 31st Test century while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed his way to an 98 as India declared a mammoth 566 for 8 after tea.
Dravid (191, 396 balls, 21x4), who caught by Guptil at long-on Williamson has had an indifferent time before the start of this Test series now has two centuries to show for his effort having scored another in the first Test at Ahmebabad.
However, it was not one of his smoothest of efforts as it was more about patience and intense concentration. Nevertheless, it was an effort that worth its weight in gold, considering there was a mini-slump in the morning session, when Tendulkar (61), VVS Laxman (10) and Suresh Raina (3) fell in quick succession.
Along with Dhoni 98 (156b, 12x4, 1x6), Dravid added 193 runs for the sixth wicket to consolidate India's position in the match.
The moment Dravid tucked Daniel Vettori to square leg for a two, it was more about the release of pressure than celebration for the former India captain. It took him 256 balls and 384 minutes to complete the ton during which he hit 12 boundaries.
It should be double delight for Dravid as it came in the town of his in-laws and also after being elected in the managing committee of the Karnataka State Cricket Association yesterday.
Dravid, remained solid throughout although he failed to get the scoreboard moving initially. In fact he scored his first run of the day in the seventh over.
He did punish the loose deliveries as one bowled by Southee on his legs was whipped away to mid-wicket boundary. He also pulled a short one from McKay to the square leg fence.
Dravid played much more freely after reaching the three-figure mark. He hit some lovely strokes in the region between point and extra cover.
Dhoni, who has also faced a lot of flak of late for his subdued batting, looked to hit his way out of bad patch with a flurry of boundaries off Kiwi pacers. He chose Andy McKay for some special treatment hitting him for three successive boundaries through mid-on, point and over cover respectively.
The most delightful of all Dhoni's strokes was the six he hit off McKay as he launched into the fullish delivery and heaved it over long.
The India skipper gave only one chance when he was on 42 but Tim McIntosh, running backwards, gobbled Dhoni's mistimed lofted shot.
Earlier in the day, the whole country waited in anticipation of Tendulkar's 50th Test century but it was disappointment once again as he got out as early as in the second over of the day.
Needing 43 runs to complete what would have been a first in the history of Test cricket, debutant McKay got rid of the maestro of the very third ball he faced.
After steering the left-arm pacer to the third-man boundary, McKay got one to lift from short of good length, which undid Tendulkar as he nicked the ball to Gareth Hopkins standing behind the stumps.
Tendulkar scored 61 off 129 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries.
For McKay, who has waited in the wings for several years, it could not have been a more memorable first Test wicket. But for thousands of Tendulkar fans, they would now have to wait in anticipation till the forthcoming Test series in South Africa as it looks unlikely that the legendary batsman would get a chance to complete the landmark if India bat last.
VVS Laxman (10) who has enjoyed a fantastic season so far started off in style with a short-arm pull of McKay.
However Chris Martin bowled a lethal inswinger that sent the Hyderabad batsman's leg-stump cart wheeling. There was absolutely no footwork from Laxman as he remained rooted in his crease.
Raina, who is in woeful form of late, did not last long offering a simple bat-pad catch off Daniel Vettori to substitute Brian Watling standing at forward short leg.
Brief scores
New Zealand 193 and 24 for 1 (Harbhajan 1-9)
India 566 for 8 dec (Dravid 191, Dhoni 98, Gambhir 78, Sehwag 74, Tendulkar 61, Vettori 3-178)
Status New Zealand trail by 349 runs
