India chase history, Kiwis seek to save series

With an unassailable lead in hand, India only have to guard against complacency and the notoriously seaming track of the Basin Reserve to notch their first Test win in Wellington in 34 years when they take on NZ in the final match of the series.

With an unassailable lead in hand, India only have to guard against complacency and the notoriously seaming track of the Basin Reserve to notch their first Test win in Wellington in 34 years when they take on New Zealand in the third and final match of the series here on Friday.

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Having won Tests at Adelaide, Perth, Trinidad, The Oval, Multan, Galle, Johannesburg and Hamilton, they are now faced with their biggest challenge of scoring a win at a venue where their last triumph came in 1975.

Having established a 1-0 lead at Seddon Park, they need to only draw the third and final Test in Wellington to achieve a historic series triumph, last accomplished by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team in 1967-68.

But their task wouldn't be a stroll in the park as, unlike at Hamilton and Napier, they will be tested on a sporting deck, which is expected to have a lot of carry and assist lateral movement off the seam.

If India can exorcise their fear against the moving ball, it would help to raise their bar in international cricket as a team which has won Test matches in all conditions and wickets, irrespective of it assisting pace, bounce, swing, seam and cut.