Harbhajan Singh smashed his maiden century as the first Test between India and New Zealand headed towards a draw on the fifth and final day Monday.
Harbhajan Singh smashed his maiden century as the first Test between India and New Zealand headed towards a draw on the fifth and final day Monday.
The tailender hit three sixes and 10 fours in his unbeaten 110-run knock and shared 163 runs for the seventh wicket with Venkatsai Laxman (91) to rescue India from a precarious 65-6.
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At tea, the top-ranked Indians were 255-8 and enjoyed an overall lead of 283 runs with just one session remaining to be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Laxman, India's saviour in many a Test match, was adjudged leg before wicket by Australian umpire Steve Davis but TV replays showed the ball from Daniel Vettori had deflected off the bat.
Vettori claimed Zaheer Khan off his next ball in similar fashion, although this time too there seemed to be an inside edge that was missed by Davis.
Harbhajan, playing his 88th Test, was nearly denied his feat by Chris Martin but the fast bowler failed to latch on to a sharp chance off his own bowling when the batsman was on 93.
Laxman, 36, showed remarkable poise during his nearly six-hour stay at the wicket, hitting nine fours in his 253-ball knock.
Harbhajan carried on with the form he showed in making 69 in India's first-innings 487, driving Martin (5-63) and Vettori (2-81) for fours to belie any signs of pressure.
He reached the 100-run mark in style, dancing down the track to loft Vettori over long-off for a huge six.
Harbhajan and Laxman denied a depleted New Zealand attack any success in the morning session after Martin ripped through the Indian top-order Sunday with his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests.
The pair started out cautiously but opened up later to play some aggressive shots on either side of the wicket, the highlight being a power-packed boundary by Harbhajan that flew over Martin's head.
Laxman, whose unbeaten 73 helped India defeat Australia in the Mohali Test last month, swept off-spinner Jeetan Patel for a four to complete his 47th half-century.
The Kiwis, laid low by injuries to pacemen Hamish Bennett (groin) and Jesse Ryder (calf), had made 459 in their first knock.
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