Martin inspires New Zealand recovery

Fast bowler Chris Martin bagged a five-wicket haul as New Zealand staged a dramatic comeback on the fourth day of the first Test against India on Sunday. Martin (5-25) polished off India's top-order in a sensational opening spell of 4-15 off nine overs, including six maidens, before returning to claim his fifth wicket towards the close at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
At stumps, India were reeling at 82-6, with Venkatsai Laxman (34) and Harbhajan Singh (12) the not out batsmen. India lead by 110 runs after bowling out the Black Caps for 459, an innings built around a patient debut century from 20-year-old Kane Williamson (131).
Martin, 35, triggered a dramatic Indian collapse, getting rid of Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina inside the first 11 overs with just 15 runs on board.
Gambhir, suffering a lean spell with the bat this year, was out for a duck, edging Martin behind off the third ball of the innings. Virender Sehwag, who top-scored with 173 in India's first-innings 487, was run out by substitute Martin Guptill before Dravid was caught behind in Martin's third over.
Tendulkar (12) failed to read an inswinger and ended up getting a thick edge onto the leg-stump. Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the fifth victim for Martin, who is seeking to revive his career after struggling last season.
Martin's show was all the more remarkable as his injured pace partner Hamish Bennett did not come out to a bowl. New Zealand were earlier boosted by Williamson, whose efforts with the bat restricted India's first-innings lead to 28 runs.
The youngster hit 10 fours in his patient 299-ball knock and shared a stand of 86 for the sixth wicket with captain Daniel Vettori (41). After Williamson's dismissal on the stroke of lunch, India removed Vettori, Gareth Hopkins, Jeetan Patel and Hamish Bennett in quick succession.
Raina had Vettori caught behind before left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha trapped Gareth Hopkins (14) plumb in front to finish with career-best figures of 4-107. "It was a great spell by Martin," said Ojha. "He bowled a great line. We will now look to bat out the first session tomorrow without losing any more wickets. "We are very confident that even if we get a lead close to 170, we can make a match of it as the wicket is finally doing something for the bowlers."
Resuming on his overnight 87, Williamson struck Zaheer Khan for two fours to race to the 100-run mark, becoming the youngest and the eighth New Zealand batsman to score a century on debut.
Vettori achieved a personal milestone on 38, when he became the third all-rounder after Ian Botham of England and India's Kapil Dev to complete the Test double of 4,000 runs and 300 wickets.
SCOREBOARD

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INDIA 1ST INNINGS: 487

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N Z 1st innings (overnight 331-5):

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T. McIntosh c Dhoni b Zaheer            0

B. McCullum st Dhoni b Ojha            65

BJ Watling b Ojha                       6

R. Taylor c Laxman b Harbhajan         56

J. Ryder lbw b Sreesanth              103

K. Williamson c Laxman b Ojha         131

D. Vettori c Dhoni b Raina             41

G. Hopkins lbw b Ojha                  14

J. Patel b Sreesanth                   14

H. Bennett b Zaheer                     4

C. Martin not out                       3

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Extras: (b5, lb12, nb5)                22

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Total: (all out; 165.4 overs)         459

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Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-27, 3-131, 4-137, 5-331, 6-417, 7-417, 8-445, 9-445, 10-459.
Bowling: Zaheer 28.4-6-70-2, Sreesanth 26-2-88-2 (nb5), Ojha 53-14-107-4, Harbhajan 43-7-112-1, Sehwag 1-0-7-0, Raina 12-1-42-1, Tendulkar 2-0-16-0.

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INDIA 2ND INNINGS:

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G. Gambhir c Hopkins b Martin           0

V. Sehwag run out                       1

R. Dravid c Hopkins b Martin            1

S. Tendulkar b Martin                  12

V. Laxman not out                      34

S. Raina c Taylor b Martin              0

MS Dhoni b Martin                      22

H. Singh not out                       12

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Extras: (0)                             0

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Total: (for six wkts; 40 overs)        82

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