Hyderabad, Nov 15: After having made animpressive start in their second innings, New Zealand lost wickets late on Day four to give hosts India the opportunity of pulling off a victory. After allowing India to post a total of 472, New Zealand finished the day at 237 for 4.

Earlier, India resumed from their overnight score of 436 for 9 with Harbhajan Singh quickly getting to his second consecutive Test century. Batting with number eleven S Sreesanth, Harbhajan’s century came at nearly a run-a-ball (105 deliveries), that included seven 4s and six 6s. India’s last wicket partnership between the two, contributed a 105 runs to the team’s cause and was eventually brought to an end by Daniel Vettori when he had Sreesanth trapped LBW. Harbhajan remained unbeaten on 111.

A 122-run deficit meant that the pressure was firmly on the Kiwi batsmen as they began their second innings. Yet, the manner in which openers Brendon McCullum and Tim McIntosh erased the deficit, 122 runs coming off 35 overs, it hardly appeared that the Kiwis were overwhelmed by the odds. India were hampered in their efforts to create wicket taking opportunities as Zaheer Khan, out of action with an abdominal strain, was unavailable to bowl shortly after the Kiwi second innings began.

With the deficit erased, McIntosh was the first wicket to fall shortly before Tea, as Cheteshwar Pujara held on to a sharp chance at short leg off Pragyan Ojha’s bowling. He made 49. Brendon McCullum, meanwhile, batted at a fair clip, despite losing partners - Martin Guptill (18), Ross Taylor (7) and Jesse Ryder (20) - at the other end. The former Kiwi wicketkeeper went on to post his sixth century in Tests and remained unbeaten (124*) till the end of day’s play. For India, Pragyan Ojha took two wickets (McIntosh, Guptill), while Sreesanth (Taylor) and Suresh Raina (Ryder) took one wicket each.

With only six wickets in hand and New Zealand just 115 runs ahead of India, the match could still produce a result in favour of the hosts, a proposition which makes the last day’s play most intriguing.

Brief Scores – New Zealand 1st innings 350 (Tim McIntosh 102, Zaheer Khan 4-69) and New Zealand 2nd innings 237 for 4 (Brendon McCullum 124*, Tim McIntosh 49, Pragyan Ojha 2-60); India 1st innings 472 (Harbhajan Singh 111*, Virender Sehwag 96, Daniel Vettori 5-135.)