AHMEDABAD, NOV 1: If the lead is substantial and the tyres are thinning, then a F-1 driver wouldn't surprise anyone by taking a pit stop. A similar break induced utter disbelief and a collective shaking of heads on the fourth day of the third and final cricket Test between India and New Zealand at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium on Monday.After toiling for over 10 hours, the Indian bowlers finally dismissed the Kiwis for 308. With a 250-run lead and over a day and half remaining in the Test match, cricket logic dictates a follow-on. Skipper Sachin Tendulkar, however, led the Indian team out to bat and, after a short but eventful stay at the middle, the hosts set the Kiwis a victory target of 424 with a day and almost a session of play left.Although many a mind inside the stadium set out for quick analysis of the Indian decision of denying the opponents a follow-on, the sole reason, if any, for the host's decision was the Indian think-tank was moved by the mercy plea of their tired bowlers. CaptainTendulkar, however, made all intentions clear by literally leading from the front and accompanying opener Sadagoppan Ramesh to the middle amid a huge cheer. A couple of pulls and cuts from the maestro, and the already-noisy crowd seemed set to hit the zenith of decibel-level record. The word spread like forest fire - Tendulkar was in his elements and, in his master company, Ramesh wasn't pulling back any stops as well. Saturday afternoon fever was at its peak again.A late cut off Cairns had the spectators in raptures. But the bowler had the last laugh as, minutes later, a stunned crowd saw Tendulkar taking a slow walk back to the hut beaten by a Cairns yorker.Saurav Ganguly, never the one to let a party in the middle go by, also joined the quick-bite opportunity a little while later. His quickfire 53 (off 62 balls) included two sixes off Daniel Vettori that cleared the ropes by more than a few metres.With the two non-resident Gujaratis - Ajay Jadeja and Debang Gandhi - not in best of healths,Srinath had to forgo rest. And, after his late surge, India declared at 148-5.Earlier, the Kiwis took positions in the trenches dug yesterday, even as Tendulkar threw the cherry on to the two most potent weapon in his arsenal Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble. But the overnight duo of Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns produced shades of the school attack is the best defence. The free-stroking players, however, maintained the momentum as they negated the surface tension or high-pressure of follow-on prospects. The Srinath-Kumble concoction didn't give any ill-health to the tourists.Desperate for a wicket, Tendulkar asked Ventakesh Prasad for a go; and it paid. His third ball had Astle caught by Ganguly in the slips.Ganguly's effort was one of the many medals Indian close-in cordon deserved on Monday. The hawk-eyed fielders were on their toes all day. Scooping half chances, they also lent encouraging chorus to the repeated appeals by the bowlers. Ramesh may soon get the nickname buckets - a name by whichformer South African all-rounder Brian McMillan was referred to - if he keeps repeating today's effort. Edges falling anywhere in his vicinity were gobbled up with ease.Besides the constant questioning by the bowlers, many an Indian heart rose and sank as the cherry barely went past the stumps or the bat on several occasions. Srinath's 2-72 off 35 overs by no means justifies the effort the Karnataka pacer put in. And trumpcard Kumble picked his fifth five-wicket haul as he sent back Cairns to fold the Kiwi inning at 308.The tourists survived the 13 overs at the fag end of the day and will now look forward to another day of stonewalling tomorrow. If they do that then the Indian think-tank will have to adopt the same strategy when the critics will question them about the questionable pit stop.And this time Tendulkar will not have his broad willow to do the talking.SCOREBOARDIndia (1st innings) 583-7 declared.New Zealand (1st innings)Gary Stead c Ganguly b Kumble 17 (61b, 79m,3x4)Mathew Horne c Dravid b Kumble 2 (24b, 29m)Daniel Vettori c sub (Bharadwaj) b Kumble 3 (16b, 37m)Craig Spearman c Ramesh b Prasad 17 (51b, 68m, 2x4)Stephen Fleming c MSK Prasad b Srinath 48 (134b, 190m, 8x4)Nathan Astle c Ganguly b V Prasad 74 (227b, 323m, 7x4, 1x6)Adam Parore lbw Kumble 11 (42b, 54m, 2x4)Chris Cairns b Kumble 72 (168b, 236m, 9x4, 1x6)Chris Harris c Ramesh b Srinath 12 (64b, 80m, 2x4)Dion Nash not out 14 (38b, 56m)Paul Wiseman c Ramesh b H Singh 3 (38b, 42m).Extras: (8b, 14lb, 13nb) 35.Total (all out in 141.4 overs, 611 minutes) 308.Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Horne, 8.1 overs), 2-29 (Vettori, 16.1), 3-33 (Stead, 18.3), 4-65 (Spearman, 32.5), 6-166 (Parore, 73.5), 7-231 (Astle, 109.3), 8-284 (Harris, 127.5), 9-294 (Cairns, 130.4).BowlingJavagal Srinath 35-11-72-2 (6nb), Venkatesh Prasad 26-9-52-2 (1nb), Anil Kumble 48-21-82-5 (6-nb), Harbhajan Singh 30.4-8-78-1, Saurav Ganguly 2-1-2-0.India (2ndinnings)Sadgopan Ramesh c Parore b Nash 16 (20b, 32m, 2x4)Sachin Tendulkar b Cairns 15 (10b, 16m, 3x4)Rahul Dravid run out (Harris) 12 (20b, 43m)Saurav Ganguly b Harris 53 (62b, 83m, 2x4, 2x6)MSK Prasad c Parore b Astle 17 (34b, 45m, 1x4)Javagal Srinath not out 19 (25b, 28m, 1x4, 1x6)Ajay Jadeja not out 12 (19b, 17m).Extras: (4lb) 4.Total: (for 5 wickets in 32 overs, 137 minutes) 148.Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Tendulkar, 3 overs), 2-35 (Ramesh, 5.5 overs), 3-68 (Dravid, 11.5 overs), 4-114 (MSK Prasad, 23 overs), 5-122 (Ganguly. 25.3 overs).Bowling: Chris Cairns 6-1-29-1, Dion Nash 8-0-35-1, Daniel Vettori 2-0-23-0, Chris Harris 11-0-44-1, Nathan Astle 5-0-13-1.New Zealand (2nd innings)Mathew Horne batting 10 (38b, 52m, 1x4)Gary Stead batting 10 (40b, 52m, 1x4).Extra (1nb) 1.Total: (for no loss in 13 overs, 52 minutes) 21.BowlingJavagal Srinath 3-2-4-0, Venkatesh Prasad 4-0-12-0, AnilKumble 4-3-2-0, Harbhajan Singh 1-0-2-0, Sachin Tendulkar 1-1-0-0.
