WELLINGTON: India were 51 for one in their second innings, a lead of 233 at the close of play on the second day of the third test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Saturday.
Earlier, India Pace bowler Zaheer Khan struck four times as New Zealand collapsed to 140 for seven at tea, leaving them 239 runs adrift of India's first innings total in the third and deciding Test here Saturday.
Khan mixed good length swinging deliveries with short lifting balls to unsettle the New Zealand batsmen after India ended their first innings on 379 soon after the start of the second day.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh complemented his aggressive innings of 60 on the first day by bowling through the session after lunch and capturing two important wickets.
As well as dismissing top scorer Ross Taylor (42) and James Franklin (15), he kept a stranglehold on the scoring, conceding just 23 runs from his 16 overs.
India needs to win or draw this Test to clinch their first series win in New Zealand since 1968.
India recovered from 204 for six shortly after tea on the first day to reach 375 for nine at stumps but the final pair of Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel could only add another four runs on Saturday before Sharma became Chris Martin's fourth victim.
Opening bowler Martin was the pick of the New Zealand attack, ending with four for 98 from his 25.1 overs.
New Zealand's reply wobbled early when Martin Guptill (17) was cramped by a shorter ball from Khan, chopping it onto his pads and the stumps, with the total at 21.
Only 10 more runs were added before Daniel Flynn edged a swinging Khan delivery to wicketkeeper Dhoni in the 11th over.
The bowler struck again soon after lunch when McIntosh (32) was surprised by a rising short ball, which ballooned off the top of his bat to Yuvraj Singh at first slip.
At 80 for three, New Zealand's hopes were resting on Jesse Ryder, who scored a double century in the drawn second Test in Napier, and a century in the first Test. But after a quiet start, he took a wild swipe at a short pitched Khan ball, sending a simple edge to Dhoni after scoring just three.
Taylor was the best hope of restoring some stability for New Zealand and replays suggested he may have been unlucky to be given out caught behind by umpire Daryl Harper.
An attempted leg glance off Harbhajan ended in captain Dhoni's gloves although replays suggested Taylor did not get bat on ball.New Zealand were struggling at 120 for five and worse was to come with Franklin sweeping Harbhajan straight to Virender Sehwag at square leg just five runs later.
Captain Daniel Vettori became Ishant Sharma's first victim with an inside edge that provided Dhoni with his fourth catch of the innings.
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