Ahmedabad, Oct 12: Spin twins Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh kept India on course for a victory reducing New Zealand to 101 for four by lunch on the final day of the first cricket test here today. New Zealand were battling to save the test and play out the 59 overs remaining in the day, having added just 53 runs to their overnight total while losing three wickets in the morning session today.
At lunch opener Lou Vincent was batting on 46 while Craig McMillan, promoted up the order after Nathan Astle complained of an upset tummy, was on eight.
The Kiwis need 269 more runs for a win but that looked a distant cry as runs were hard to come by and batsmen always in danger of losing their wickets in the face of a tight spin attack on a pitch that offered some assistance to the tweakers.
Before doubts could be raised about skipper Sourav Ganguly's sporting second innings declaration at 209 for six with Tuffey and Vincent stoutly resisting the Indian attack for nearly 40 minutes, Kumble struck a blow to remove night watchman Tuffey.
Tuffey (8) was beaten by pace, the middle stump being rattled by the Kumble delivery, the very first of this morning.
Bureau Report