Harbhajan bowls India to series lead

Harbhajan Singh's 6-63 sealed an elusive first win in New Zealand for 33 years

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Harbhajan Singh took six wickets to guide India to a 10-wicket victory over New Zealand inside four days of the first Test in Hamilton.

Sachin Tendulkar’s 160 had put the visitors in a strong position yesterday as they racked up 520 in their first innings, for a 241-run lead.

A defiant ninth-wicket partnership between Brendon McCullum and Iain O’Brien delayed the inevitable with a 76-run stand, pushing the hosts to 279 and forcing India to bat again. But they needed just 39 to win.

Gautam Gambhir, who was 30 not out and Rahul Dravid (eight) then swiftly wrapped up the win in 5.2 overs.

It marked the first victory for India in the country for 33 years, since Sunil Gavaskar skippered India to victory in Auckland in 1976-77.

After the damage done by Tendulkar yesterday, Harbhajan Singh proved to be New Zealand’s chief tormentor today, taking 6-63 from 28 overs.

The off-spinner dismissed Martin Guptill before stumps yesterday and then Jesse Ryder this morning before taking three more scalps after lunch and then removing O’Brien in the final session.

The Black Caps had resumed this morning on 75 for three with Daniel Flynn on 24 alongside Ross Taylor.

Taylor fell for just four when he slashed Munaf Patel’s delivery straight to Virender Sehwag at gully.

Ryder came in looking to impose himself immediately as he hit a four off the second ball before hitting another four and six off Zaheer Khan. Flynn reached his third Test half-century from 118 balls.

Brendon McCullum delayed the inevitable with a battling 84

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But Ryder was trapped lbw by Harbhajan in the 52nd over after an innings of 21 off 27 balls, leaving the hosts with McCullum and captain Daniel Vettori as their recognised batsmen for the afternoon session.

All-rounder James Franklin was out for 14 when he ballooned Harbhajan’s delivery towards Munaf at point to make the easy catch.

Flynn (67) was the next to fall victim to Harbahajn when he saw his valiant contribution brought to an end soon after, getting a thin inside edge onto the pad allowing Gautam Gambhir to take a simple catch.

That brought McCullum and Vettori together and they battled for an eight-wicket stand of 38 until Vettori’s inside edge onto the pad was picked off by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, bringing an end to the New Zealand captain's innings of 21 with the hosts 199 for eight.

McCullum then offered a stubborn resistance alongside O’Brien and the pair set about erasing India’s lead and forcing them to bat again to seal the win.

That resistance ended when O’Brien (14) was caught off Harbhajan, before McCullum fell for 84 soon after with a thick top edge to Laxman at short fine-leg.

India will take a 1-0 lead into the second Test in Napier on Thursday.