India close in on historic win

Gautam Gambhir hit 167 as India put themselves on course to a historic series triumph by taking a massive 531-run lead.

India turned the screws on day three of the third and final Test against the Black Caps to close in on their first series win in New Zealand in over 40 years.

Resuming on 51 for one, already 233 runs ahead, India piled on the misery for the New Zealanders as they racked up 349 runs for the loss of five wickets at Wellington's Basin Reserve.

That gave them a mammoth lead of 531 runs when bad light ended play early and with just two days remaining it left the visitors nicely poised to wrap up the series with ease after their comprehensive 10-wicket win in the first Test in Hamilton.

Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid added 170 runs for the second wicket which effectively took the game away from New Zealand as their bowlers, particularly Tim Southee, found it tough going.

It was the 76th time Dravid had been involved in a century stand - a record for any batsman.

But the Black Caps enjoyed a profitable spell immediately after lunch with Daniel Vettori snaring the wickets of Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who made a 20-ball nine, as India went from 170 for one at lunch to 208 for three.

Dravid was dismissed on 60 after reaching his 57th Test half-century shortly before the interval. His 145-ball innings included 10 boundaries and was his fourth fifty of the series.

Gambhir and Laxman however, ploughed on to take India to 314 before both fell in quick succession once the second new ball had been taken.

Top Performer: Gautam Gambhir

Having reached 151 shortly before tea, Gambhir added a further 16 runs in the final session before he was trapped lbw by Iain O'Brien which brought to an end an impressive 257-ball innings that included 16 boundaries and two sixes.

O'Brien then struck again in his next over to dismiss Laxman (61), who had brought up his 39th half-century - and third in four innings - three overs previously.

That left India 319 for five, 501 runs ahead. Captain MS Dhoni (16 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (15 no) saw the visitors through to the close.

In a circumspect start Gambhir, who began the day on 28, took 75 balls to reach his 51, which included seven boundaries.

But he upped the tempo after morning drinks, finding the rope a further five times and hitting a six off O'Brien to be on 96 by lunch as the Indians ended the morning session on 170 for one, 352 runs ahead.

The opener brought up his second ton in as many Test matches, and his sixth overall, in the second over after lunch, sending Southee's first ball after the break out to the boundary rope.

The very next over Dravid (60) was dismissed by a smart bit of fielding by Brendon McCullum. The wicket-keeper anticipated a paddle sweep down leg side by the right-hander and put himself in a good position to claim the catch to the disbelief of the batsman.

It's all about numbers!

It was Vettori's first wicket of the Test and he quickly doubled his tally when Ross Taylor took a superb diving catch in the slips to dismiss Tendulkar.

After the fall of the wicket, New Zealand managed to restrict the run-flow for a while with Laxman taking 14 deliveries to get off the mark.

But by tea Laxman and Gambhir had put on 61 runs and the latter had made 151 as the Indians reached 269 for three to be 451 runs ahead.

Laxman's eighth boundary then got him to 53 off 104 deliveries, although he survived a scare on 49 when Jesse Ryder failed to hold onto a catch from in close.

And a few overs later he was heading back to the dressing room. Vettori (two for 88 off 29 overs) and O'Brien (two for 77 off 22) were the day's only wicket-takers and along with Chris Martin, who had Virender Sehwag caught by Taylor the previous evening, shouldered most of the work.

Southee struggled again and went for an expensive 58 runs off 12 overs, while James Franklin (none for 50 off 13) and Ryder (none for 21 off six) were given limited opportunity with the ball.