Trisul

NAGPUR: Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha wreaked havoc on a turning track as India recorded one of their most convincing Test wins in recent times by thrashing New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs in third and final Test to clinch the three-match series 1-0 on Tuesday.

No side has won a match at the Premadasa Stadium batting second in the last 13 ODIs played here. India broke that hoodoo on Friday, beating New Zealand by six wickets in the second match of the Compaq Cup tri-series and thereby ensuring a place in Monday's final against hosts Sri Lanka and also moving to the top of ICC's ODI rankings.

India beat New Zealand by 53 runs according to the Duckworth Lewis method in the first ODI of the series at McLean Park in Napier on Tuesday. With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.

An unbeaten 163 by Sachin Tendulkar led India to a comprehensive 58-run win over New Zealand in the third One-Day International on Sunday and ensured they cannot lose the series.

Though denied a victory in the third and final Test at Basin Reserve in Wellington by rain, India registered a historic 1-0 series victory against New Zealand on Tuesday, a feat last accomplished by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team in 1967-68.

India's winning streak finally snapped on Saturday as New Zealand cruised to an eight-wicket consolation win in the final One-dayer to deny the visitors a clean sweep of the ODI series.

India became the number one team in Test rankings after they spanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final Test, on Sunday, to clinch the three-match series by a 2-0 margin.

A double strike in the second half gave India a 2-0 win in the fourth and final men's field hockey Test against New Zealand here Sunday, giving them a series win by the same margin.

Hamilton: Harbhajan Singh took five wickets for 45 runs as New Zealand slumped to 216-8 at tea on the fourth day of the first Test on Saturday, trailing India by 25 runs with only two second-innings wickets in hand.