Cricket: Gambhir, Dravid lead India resistance

India opener Gautam Gambhir scored his 10th test fifty in the first session today. Photo / Getty Images

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India's rearguard action thwarted New Zealand's push for victory early on the penultimate day of the second cricket test at McLean Park in Napier today as Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid eased through the opening session.

India were 119 for one at lunch in their second innings, still 195 short of making New Zealand bat again as survival remains the tourists' sole priority.

Resuming on 47 for one - 267 in arrears - opener Gambhir (60) and the resolute Dravid (34) negotiated the first hurdle without serious concern.

Understandably neither were in any hurry to accelerate the scoring as India added just 72 runs in 33 overs though Dravid opened his shoulders to hit solitary wicket taker Jeetan Patel down the ground for a rare six as lunch approached.

It was Dravid's first six in tests since he cleared the boundary against Bangladesh at Dhaka in May 2007 - 24 tests ago. The blow was also just the 15th six struck by the veteran during a 133-test than was so far realised 10,700 runs.

Dravid, top scorer in India's first innings of 305 with 83 yesterday, provided New Zealand's only hint of a breakthrough when he took a risky single to mid-on to get under way today - a call that would have proved costly had James Franklin been able to throw down the stumps.

The veteran made the most of his let-off in the second over of the day and progressed patiently from his overnight score of 11.

Gambhir, who resumed on 14, survived a confident leg before wicket shout by Iain O'Brien on 28 and another when he shouldered arms to Patel six runs later before posting his 11th test fifty with his eighth boundary.

He will resume his 141-ball vigil on 40 runs short of a fifth test hundred.

India were forced to follow on 314 runs behind New Zealand's 619 for nine declared after their first innings fizzled out on 305 during yesterday's final session.

Patel claimed the wicket of captain Virender Sehwag (22) before stumps last night.

- NZPA