…Wiiliamson hits maiden Test ton
CHRIS Martin ripped through India’s top order late on day four to give New Zealand hope of an unlikely victory in the first Test at Ahmedabad.
The match had seemingly been meandering towards a draw after a century from debutant Kane Williamson helped the tourists reach 459 just before the tea break.
That meant India held a slender 28-run lead, but the match was turned on its head as Martin reduced the hosts to 82 for six by the close.
The 35-year-old produced a spell of swing bowling to remember as he returned figures of five for 25, with the only other wicket falling to a run out. Martin took just three balls to begin his onslaught when Gautam Gambhir inside edged through to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins.
Virender Sehwag was then needlessly run out before Martin induced an edge from Rahul Dravid from the last ball before tea, to leave India reeling at two for three.
The right-armer was not finished there, however, and he produced a vicious inswinger to claim the crucial wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for 12 and when Suresh Raina edged to Ross Taylor at first slip for a duck, India were 15 for five.
VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni finally brought some sanity to proceedings with a steadying 50-run stand, but Martin ensured his ninth Test five-wicket haul when Dhoni chopped on for 22.
Laxman kept his cool to negotiate his way to the close on 34 while Harbhajan Singh reached 12 to build the lead to 110 runs.
Martin’s late demolition overshadowed Williamson’s impressive maiden Test century, which had ensured the Black Caps moved to within touching distance of India’s first-innings total of 487.
The 20-year-old made 131 before being out to the last ball of the morning session to spinner Pragyan Ojha, who finished with figures of four for 107. (PA Sport)

INDIA first innings 487 (V. Sehwag 173; R. Dravid 104; D. Vettori 4-118)
NEW ZEALAND first innings (overnight 331 for 5)
T. McIntosh c Dhoni b Khan    0
B. McCullum stp. Dhoni  b Ojha    65
BJ Watling b Ojha            6
R. Taylor c Laxman b Harbhajan Singh    56
J. Ryder lbw b Sreesanth    103
K. Williamson c Laxman b Ojha   131
D. Vettori c (wkpr) b Dhoni    41
G. Hopkins lbw b Ojha       14
J. Patel b Sreesanth        14
H. Bennett  b Khan   4
C. Martin  not out      3
Extras: (b-5, lb-12, nb-5))    22
Total: (all out; 165.4 overs)  459
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-27, 3-131, 4-137, 5-331, 6-417, 7-417, 8-445, 9-445, 10-459.
Bowling: Khan 28.4-6-70-2, Sreesanth 26-2-88-2 (5nb), Ojha 53-14-107-4, Harbhajan Singh 43-7-112-1, Sehwag 1-0-7-0, S. Raina 12-1-42-1, Tendulkar 2-0-16-0.

INDIA second innings

G. Gambhir  c (wkpr) Hopkins b Martin        0
V. Sehwag run out (sub M.Guptill/Verttori)  1
R. Dravid c Hopkins b Martin                 1
S. Tendulkar  b Martin                      12
VVS Laxman   not out                        34
S. Raina  c Taylor b Martin                  0
M.S. Dhoni   b Martin                       22
Harbhajan Singh not out                     12
Extras                                      0

Total (6 wickets, 40 overs)                 82

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-15, 5-15, 6-65
Bowling: Martin  13-7-25-5, Vettori 15-2-31-0, Patel 10-1-18-0, K. Williamson  2-0-8 -0.