Sachin fifty lead India resistance

Gautam Gambhir hit his fifth century after Sachin Tendulkar hit his 52nd half-century to take India to 252/2 following-on in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand at McLean Park in Napier on Sunday. 

At close of play, India trailed New Zealand by 62 runs with Gambhir (102) and Tendulkar (58) at the crease. 

Tendulkar hit a six and 8 fours in his 58-run knock, while Gambhir's century was studded with 14 fours as as New Zealand took the second new ball straightaway after tea but failed to get any breakthrough. 

It was a superb, determined effort from Gambhir, who notched up his first century outside the sub-continent and became the first Indian opener since Sunil Gavaskar (1976) to hit a century on Kiwi soil. 

Tendulkar hit three fours in one over by Chris Martin, first to the fine leg boundary, second to the square leg boundary and the third to the cover fence - that was the best of the lot as the master went down on one knee while executing a cover drive. 

Tendulkar brought up the Indian 200 on the first delivery of the next over by Iain O'Brien by rocking on the back foot and punching it through the covers to send the ball racing to the fence. 

The highlight of the second session of the day's play was Rahul Dravid falling prey to a wrong decision by umpire Ian Gould to reduce India to 163/2. 

The incident happened when a Daniel Vettori delivery hit Dravid's pads and ballooned up, Jamie How at short leg dived forward and Gould gave it out. 

Dravid hit his 56th half-century enroute 62 with the help of 6 fours and a six - the 15th of his Test career. This is the tenth time that Dravid crossed 50 in both the innings of a Test match. 

Dravid and Gautam Gambhir added 133 runs for the second wicket and this is the 75th 100-run partnership that Dravid has been involved in. 

Earlier, Gambhir and Dravid took India to 119/1 at lunch, trailing New Zealand by 195 runs. 

When he reached 56, Gambhir became the third fastest Indian, after Dravid and Sehwag, to reach 2000 Test runs. Gambhir reached the landmark in 43 innings while Dravid and Sehwag took 40 Test innings to reach the milestone. 

Gambhir reached his 11th half-century through his eighth hit to the fence. 

The fourth day's play started with Gambhir and Dravid resuming the Indian second innings at 47/1. 

India have their backs to the wall with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag getting out to an irresponsible shot after New Zealand enforced the follow-on with a lead of 314 runs on Day 3. 

Sehwag threw away his wicket in a highly irresponsible act to leave India at 30/1. 

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori brought off-spinner Jeetan Patel in the act and Sehwag walked into the trap. 

Sehwag had a wild heave at the first delivery, but edged it to fine leg for a boundary. Next delivery, Sehwag tried to slog sweep, missed the ball and was trapped plumb in front of the wicket. 

Sehwag hit 4 fours in his 22-run knock. 

Earlier, India were made to follow-on after they were bundled out for 305 runs in their first innings. 

India lost wickets in quick succession after tea with Dinesh Karthik (6) becoming the first victim, caught at third slip by Jesse Ryder off Chris Martin. 

VVS Laxman (76) was the next to fall when he edged to second slip for Tim McIntosh to take the catch, again off Martin. 

In the next over, Iain O'Brien dismissed Harbhajan Singh (18) and Zaheer Khan (8) off consecutive deliveries to end the Indian first innings. 

Chris Martin dismissed Yuvraj Singh for a duck to reduce India to 253/6 at tea. 

The Kiwis struck early with the second new ball as Yuvraj reached out to a wide delivery and edged it to second slip for Tim McIntosh to take the catch. 

Yuvraj's dismissal came after Jesse Ryder dismissed Rahul Dravid for 83. 

Ryder struck in his first over as Dravid reached out for a wide delivery and edged it to keeper Brendon McCullum for the catch. 

Dravid's knock was studded with 12 fours and he was looking good for a century till that one bad shot resulted in his dismissal. Dravid and VVS Laxman added 81 runs for the fifth wicket. 

Shortly before Dravid's dismissal, Laxman hit his 38th Test half-century. 

Laxman hit a Jeetan Patel delivery through the covers for his 10th four to achieve the milestone. 

India were 189/4 at lunch trailing the mammoth New Zealand total by 430 runs. 

The lone breakthrough in the first session came for the Kiwis in the form of Sachin Tendulkar who was dismissed by Jeetan Patel for 49. 

Patel got the prized wicket when Tendulkar edged a delivery to first slip for Ross Taylor to take the catch. Tendulkar hit 7 fours in his knock and added 87 runs with Dravid for the fourth wicket. 

It was sweet revenge for Patel who was hit for a six and 2 fours in his previous over. 

This was shortly after Dravid hit his 55th half-century. 

Dravid achieved the milestone when he square cut a Iain O'Brien delivery for his 7th four. 

The third day's play started with Dravid and Tendulkar resuming the Indian first innings at 79/3. 

On Day 2, Daniel Vettori was lucky to get the third breakthrough when night watchman Ishant Sharma (0) was adjudged out leg before wicket by umpire Ian Gould even though there was an indise edge. 

This was shortly after Jeetan Patel dismissed Gautam Gambhir in his first over to reduce India to 73/2. 

Patel gave the Kiwis the second breakthrough when Gambhir (16) needlessly charged down the pitch and mistimed a hit to mid-on where Vettori took an easy catch. 

Indians were already under pressure after the early dismissal of Virender Sehwag by Vettori in his first over to put India at 48/1. 

Vettori out witted Sehwag with his variations by first bowling a full delivery that was hit by Sehwag over long-on for a six. 

Vettori then delivered a slower ball through the air, Sehwag went for a slog sweep but edged it to keeper Brendon McCullum for the catch. 

Sehwag hit a six and and 5 fours in his 34-run knock that came off 25 balls. 

This was after New Zealand declared their first innings at the mammoth score of 619/9. 

The huge Kiwi total was build on 3 100-run partnerships and 5 individual scores of 50 or more in the innings. The Kiwis maintained a run rate in excess of 4 runs per over throughout their innings to notch up their third highest total ever. 

The declaration came at the fall of Jeetan Patel (1) who was caught by Ishant Sharma off Harbhajan Singh. 

Ishant Sharma dismissed Brendon McCullum to put New Zealand at 618/8. 

The breakthrough came when McCullum cut to the point fence for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch. McCullum became the third centurion in the New Zealand first innings scoring 115 with the help of 13 fours. 

Ishant's second wicket came when he dismissed Kiwi captain Daniel Vettori to put New Zealand at 605/7. 

Looking for some big shots, Vettori chased a wide delivery but edged it onto his stumps. 

This was shortly after Vettori hit his 19th half-century in the first over of the third session. Vettori hit 6 fours in his 55-run knock. 

Before tea, Brendon McCullum hit his third century reaching the milestone with a square cut off India captain Virender Sehwag, his 11th hit to the fence. 

This is McCullum's first Test century in New Zealand. His two centuries came in Dhaka and Harare and his highest score in New Zealand was of 99 at this very venue in 2005.

The 100-run partnership between McCullum and captain Daniel Vettori came off 136 balls. 

This was after Jesse Ryder was dismissed soon after reaching his maiden double century to leave New Zealand at 477/6 after lunch. 

Ryder reached the milestone when he pulled a Zaheer Khan delivery to fine leg but edged the very next delivery onto his stumps to end his magnificent performance of patience, endurance and skill that was studded with a six and 24 fours. 

Ryder is the first double centurion for New Zealand since Stephen Fleming in 2006 and the third Kiwi batsman to hit a double century against India. 

The lone breakthrough for India in the first session came when James Franklin was run out to leave New Zealand at 415/5. 

Ryder hit a Harbhajan delivery to the covers and went for a single, Franklin was slow to respond and was unable to beat the throw from Yuvraj Singh into the hands of Dinesh Karthik to dislodge the bails. 

Ryder crossed 150 for the first time, while Franklin hit his second Test fifty as the two southpaws continued to inflict misery on the Indians with a partnership of 121 runs. 

Franklin had 7 hits to the fence in his 52. 

The second day's play started with Ryder and Franklin resuming the New Zealand first innings at 351/4. 

On Day 1, Ryder's magnificent second century and his record 271-run partnership with Ross Taylor for the fourth wicket revived the New Zealand innings from a disastrous position of 23/3. 

Ryder hit 17 fours and a six in his unbeaten 137-run knock. 

Taylor and Ryder sent the Indians on a leather hunt till Harbhajan Singh finally got India the fourth breakthrough when he dismissed Taylor to put New Zealand at 294/4. 

The breakthrough came when Taylor tries to slog sweep the doosra across the line but top edged it to deep square leg for Yuvraj Singh to take the catch. 

Taylor's magnificent innings of 151 was studded with a six and 26 fours. 

This was shortly after Jesse Ryder hit his second century with the help of 14 fours and a six and became the first New Zealand batsman to hit back-to-back centuries since 1996. 

Taylor and Ryder broke New Zealand's record of the highest partnership for any wicket against India and also the record of the highest 4th wicket partnership against any team for New Zealand. 

Before tea, Taylor hit his third century. 

Taylor achieved his first century against India with a boundary to the third man fence in the last over before tea. 

Taylor's knock of 113 runs was studded with 20 boundaries, while Ryder hit 12 fours in his 87-run knock. 

Taylor and Ryder added 210 runs for the fourth wicket in 272 balls with both the batsmen riding thier luck as sometimes they edged through the gaps and at other times the edges just fell short of the Indian fielders. 

The rescue act came after New Zealand were reduced to 23/3 as Zaheer Khan took two wickets in successive overs before lunch. 

Zaheer struck on the first delivery of his sixth over when Martin Guptill (8) gloved a bouncer to gully where Virender Sehwag dived forward to take the catch. 

On the last delivery of his previous over, Zaheer clean bowled Jamie How (1) with a beauty of a delivery that swung back in and How edged it onto his stumps through the gap between bat and pad. 

Zaheer set up How's dismissal superbly by bowling a couple of deliveries across the batsman and then bringing one back in for the wicket. 

Ishant Sharma struck in the eighth over dimissing Tim McIntosh to put New Zealand at 21/1. 

McIntosh (12) was unlcuky to be adjudged out caught behind by Billy Doctorve, as there was no edge as McIntosh's bat hit his pad. 

The breakthrough came after New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat first. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not playing in this Test, as he is suffering from a back problem. Virender Sehwag went out for the toss and Dinesh Karthik is the keeper. This is the only change for India.