India win first Test series in New Zealand after 41 years

India secured their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 on Tuesday despite rain denied them a huge victory in the third Test here Tuesday.

The third Test against the Black Caps ended in a draw.The draw at the Basin Reserve was all the tourists needed for a 1-0 series win, breaking the 41-year gap since their last series victory in New Zealand.

India set an impossible target of 617 runs for victory.

The rain forced the teams off 30 minutes into the afternoon session with New Zealand 281 for eight, still 336 runs short, and play was finally called off two hours 20 minutes later at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19.

India win the series 1-0 following their comprehensive 10-wicket win in Hamilton and the draw in Napier.

They were on course for another emphatic victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Black Caps out for 197.

Skipper MS Dhoni declared their second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a mammoth run chase they never looked likely to achieve.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42.

Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were New Zealand's chief destroyers, although Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was crucial with the little master taking two wickets for 26 runs in his six-over spell before lunch.

Khan finished with match figures of seven for 122 off 37.3 overs after taking five for 65 in the first innings. Harbhajan ended with seven for 102 off 56 overs after taking four for 59 in New Zealand's second innings.

Taylor (69) and Franklin (26) resumed in windy, overcast conditions when play began half-an-hour early following Monday's early finish.

The pair added a further 59 runs to the overnight score of 167 for four before Taylor was bowled by Harbhajan for 107.

The pair put on 142 runs in total, the highest fifth-wicket partnership by New Zealanders against India.

Taylor brought up his fourth Test century with a four down fine leg - his fourth boundary of the morning and 15th in total.

But two overs later he was cleaned bowled by the off-spinner to leave New Zealand on 226 for five, still needing 391 to win.

Tendulkar bowled a good six-over spell, taking two wickets of- Brendon McCullum and Franklin- for 26 runs.

Brendon McCullum (six) was caught by Rahul Dravid via the gloves of Dhoni off the bowling of Sachin Tendulkar.

The part-time spinner would have had the Black Caps vice-captain out without scoring had Munaf Patel made the catch at mid-off a few overs earlier.

Franklin, who survived an lbw shout by Khan early in the day,  he finally got the all-rounder leg before wicket one run shy of his third half-century.

Tim Southee (three) lasted 13 balls before being given out caught behind by Dhoni off Harbhajan.

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 379 (S. Tendulkar 62, H. Singh 60, M.S. Dhoni 52, C. Martin 4-98, I. O'Brien 2-89)

New Zealand 1st innings 197 (R. Taylor 42, T. McIntosh 32, Z. Khan 5-65, Harbhajan Singh 3-43)

India 2nd innings 434-7 declared (G. Gambhir 167, C. Martin 3-70)

New Zealand 2nd innings

T. McIntosh c Dravid b Khan 4
M. Guptill lbw Harbhajan 49
D. Flynn b Khan 10
R. Taylor b Harbajhan 107
J. Ryder c Dravid b Harbhajan 0
J. Franklin lbw Tendulkar 49
B. McCullum c Dravid b Tendulkar 6
D. Vettori not out 15
T. Southee c Dhoni B Harbhajan 3
I. O'Brien not out 19
Extras b 10, lb 2, w 1, nb 6 19
Total 8 wickets, 94.3 overs 281

Fall of wkts 1-30, 2-54, 3-84, 4-84, 5-226, 6-244, 7-253, 8-258

Bowling

Khan 19.3-6-57-2, Patel 13-4-22-0, Sharma 12-2-57-0, Harbhajan Singh 33-8-59-4, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-4-0, Sehwag 7-0-25-0, Tendulkar 9-0-45-2

Match position draw

Series India won 1-0