New Zealand cricket coach Steve Rixon was unhappy with the shot selection of some of his players as they squandered the chance of a commanding position in the second test against India at the Basin Reserve yesterday.

A glance at the scorecard shows the amount of unfulfilled promise in the Black Caps innings after the second day of the five-day match.

Good starts were wasted, while others, notably Adam Parore and Chris Cairns, did not even ignite on what was universally acknowledged as the best batting conditions of the match. All this after Simon Doull's memorable seven-wicket haul on the opening day of the test.

It took batsmen number eight and nine, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori, to give credit to the innings, helping the New Zealanders to an 82-run advantage at the end of the second day.

New Zealand's ability to follow a good day with a bad one is a reason it struggles for cricket credibility.

``We need to look at some of our work playing the short-pitched ball. You don't learn to hook overnight,''said Rixon.

He was referring to a sustained spell of short-pitched bowling by Javagal Srinath, particularly aimed at East-Christchurch Shirley clubmates Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan which, at times, found them wanting.

``When the ball is at chest and throat height and in the zone, we should be looking at leaving.''

Rixon had no problem with Srinath's persistent tactic which at times resembled a bodyline attack from the 1930s.

``They are quite within their rights with two short-pitched balls an over to test us out.''

Earlier, the needless run out of skipper Stephen Fleming set the tone of the Black Caps innings.

Fleming - who had put on 72 runs with Matt Horne for the second wicket - made a bad call and was left just short of the crease.

Rixon said Fleming's groin injury, which he aggravated in the unofficial one-dayer in Dunedin last week, was not a factor in the run out.

Horne was given two reprieves in the 20s, but was unable to profit from the escapes before perishing to an expansive back foot drive. He was to be the first of brisk leg spinner Anil Kumble's three wickets for the day.

Astle had some good fortune when playing on a Srinath no-ball on at 24. Srinath, a hard-working bowler, was finally rewarded when McMillan flicked a ball square, only to be brilliantly caught close-in by Rahul Dravid.

Dravid had been moved there after the previous ball had flown in that direction, but Saurav Ganguly had reacted late.

Parore's run drought this season continued when he played no shot to Kumble and West Indian umpire Eddie Nicholls wasted no time giving him out lbw.

Cairns was another member of the soft-dismissal club, chipping a Venkatash Prasad delivery tamely to mid-off.

Astle posted his fifth test half century, mixing some polished strokes with some less convincing batting as the Indian pace bowlers worked on his back-foot play.

Only 11 of his first 50 runs came from shots in front of the wicket.

Soon after reaching the milestone, Astle prodded tentatively forward to Kumble, the ball came off his pads into the stumps and the chance of another big innings went begging. The inability of McMillan and Astle to build on promising starts in the middle-order this season continues to be a worry.

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad said it was frustrating not being able to finish off the New Zealand lower order. He backed captain Mohammad Azharuddin's decision to take the second new ball when New Zealand was 232 for seven. ``Azhar felt with Vettori in, Srinath and Prasad could get him out with the new ball and then brush off the tail,'' Gaekwad said.

``In the end we had the game in control, but we gave away quite a few runs with the second new ball.

``We still believe we can win, we just need to get 200 or 250 ahead on the final innings and then we're in with a chance. We are better equipped to play spinners when you think of the Indian wickets and the kind of bowlers we are used to facing back home.''

Day 3: Close finish on the cards

A call to a Bombay bookmaker might be the best bet for discovering the result of the second New Zealand-India cricket test at the Basin Reserve.

With two days remaining the match is delicately balanced and only those who reputedly have inside knowledge could shed light on which way the intriguing contest will turn.

Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin is content to be backing his team and its position, 35 runs ahead over all, having wiped out the first-innings deficit for the loss of three wickets.

Azharuddin believes his side is capable of building a lead of around 250 to 300, if his remaining batsmen get under way. He believes such a target could be too great for New Zealand on a wearing wicket tomorrow.

``We have to play really well, but the chance is there. The ball is turning and it should turn more on the final day.''

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar may also play a pivotal part in his less familiar role with the ball after his performance yesterday. Tendulkar, brought on after the frontline bowlers were spent trying to finish the stubborn Dion Nash-Daniel Vettori stand, demonstrated his Midas touch, winkling out Vettori who seemed mesmerised by his mixture of off and leg-breaks.

Azharuddin said Tendulkar turned the ball more than anyone in the game so far and would be employed when New Zealand batted a second time.

``He bowls his wrist-spinners pretty effectively,'' said the Indian captain of Tendulkar whose figures of two for seven from six overs are his best test return from limited bowling.

Tendulkar also tempted Paul Wiseman into an ambitious drive, which belied the batsman's surname, to help wrap up the New Zealand innings and leave Nash stranded 11 runs short of a maiden test century.

Today, Tendulkar is expected to perform in his more accustomed role of being a foundation stone to the Indian innings.

By stumps last night he had made a confident start, unbeaten on 42 from just 62 balls with six fours and a six. With Saurav Ganguly not out 47 the pair had added 67 for the fourth wicket and their progress, plus Azharuddin's contribution, will be vital.

Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming said today's pre-lunch session would be a telling one, but fancies the odds on the Black Caps breaking through.

``If we can get two or three wickets with their best players out and only be chasing something around 150-200, I'd be pretty optimistic of our chances.''

Fleming said although the Indians were dashing stroke-makers and could score quickly, they also gave chances if pressure could be maintained.

``I'm confident that in our spinners Dan (Vettori) and Paul (Wiseman) we have the guys who can create those chances.''

Fleming said while the wicket was taking spin it was generally playing truly. However, as a left-handed batsman, he rued the footmarks created by the right-arm pace bowlers from both teams.

They are making batting more difficult against spinners for the southpaw.

``This one's a right-hander's game,'' he quipped.

New Zealand could be satisfied dismissing India's first three well below their test averages; Nash extending his success from bat to ball; Doull exploiting some low bounce which could also become more prevalent; and Wiseman deceiving Rahul Dravid with a beautifully flighted off-break in his opening over.

Day 4: Classic finale beckons

More nerve-jangling suspense seems certain today as the New Zealand cricketers resume their quest for 213 runs to beat India in the second BNZ test at the Basin Reserve and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

After four days with the twists and turns of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, it seems unlikely there will be a straightforward conclusion for either side. India needs six wickets while the Black Caps require another 140 runs, after having tentatively accumulated 73 runs in yesterday's final session.

Further drama occurred after play last night with X-rays revealing that top-order batsman Nathan Astle had sustained a cracked bone in his left hand in the Black Caps second innings. However, Astle will bat if required.

New Zealand coach Steve Rixon views the match as leaning slightly in India's favour.

``But only slightly. It's been a terrific test match, I've been astounded by the ebb and flow of it.''

Rixon felt the pressure of seeking the testing, but not unattainable target had told on his batsmen, with several surrendering their wickets meekly.

Debutant opener Matthew Bell completed a dismal first test with a first over second innings failure, while captain Stephen Fleming was bowled offering no shot to Anil Kumble, his delivery spinning out of the footmarks.

Leg-spinner Kumble, India's most dangerous bowling weapon, added Matthew Horne leg before to go alongside Fleming's wicket and with Astle retired hurt and Adam Parore run out after being unable to regain his crease, it left the Black Caps teetering on the brink.

``There's the chance for somebody to make a name for themselves. I'm glad we've still got some firepower in Dion Nash, Chris Cairns, and Daniel Vettori to come,'' Rixon said.

Rixon acknowledged the threat Kumble posed on the fifth day wicket, but said there was not exaggerated spin and one substantial partnership would turn the game.

Rixon said the players had responded to being stirred along at lunchtime after what he described as a poor pre-lunch session.

The match took another about-face when the second session started with India losing three wickets for only seven runs, after earlier making powerful progress on the back of the Sachin Tendulkar-Mohammed Azharuddin fifth-wicket stand of 97.

From being 153 ahead with five wickets intact, India stumbled courtesy of Nash, who followed his batting heroics with an incisive spell of bowling into the wind.

Tendulkar slashed a widish ball to Fleming at first slip and Fleming's expertise in that position was never better demonstrated when he held a chance low to his right to remove Nayan Mongia off Simon Doull. The crucial wicket of Azharuddin came in controversial manner with West Indian Eddie Nicholls giving him out caught behind when Azharuddin believed the ball had clipped his back pad.

Despite some resistance from Kumble and Javagal Srinath, who added 42 for the eighth wicket, the combined efforts of the bowlers had closed India down by tea.

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad did not believe Tendulkar's innings was a vintage effort from the batting ace.

``He seemed to be unsettled by the wind. It was blowing him about and I've seen him apply himself better to his shot-making. He was taking some risks,'' Gaekwad said, of Tendulkar's 113 which took 151 balls and was studded with 13 fours and two sixes.

Gaekwad said India wanted a lead in excess of 250 to be competitive, but felt the match was finely poised.

If New Zealand wins it will be its fourth-highest score batting last for victory and the fifth test win in succession at home.

However, more heart flutters are certain before any champagne can be uncorked.

Day 5: McMillan fires test NZ's way

A typically assertive Craig McMillan chose an opportune time to make his first half-century of the summer leading New Zealand to a record-equalling four test cricket wins in the calendar year.

New Zealand won by four wickets against India at the Basin Reserve yesterday to ensure a happy New Year for the team, which this year has also had test wins against Zimbabwe (2) and Sri Lanka. It takes an unbeatable 1-0 lead in the three-test BNZ series, with only one match remaining at Hamilton starting on Saturday.

McMillan, 22, shrugged aside some moderate early-season form by posting an aggressive 74, his first first-class half-century in 10 innings this season. However, the ground has been kind to McMillan he scored his maiden test century in his last innings there.

``I've been getting some 30s and 40s this season but not going on. It was a huge relief to put a performance together,'' he said.

Together with fellow Cantabrian Chris Cairns, McMillan wrested the initiative away from India, which had the Black Caps in strife at 74 for five after the early loss yesterday of nightwatchman Paul Wiseman.

With purposeful stroke-play and aggressive running between the wickets they not only combated India's key bowlers, Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble, but also placed pressure on the field.

Many times in the past New Zealand sides have stumbled seeking a moderate target by being inexperienced in such situations and just pushing and prodding about. This time the Black Caps gambled on being forthright - and won.

McMillan and Cairns added 137 together in even time, a New Zealand sixth-wicket record against India, eclipsing the 87 by John Guy and Tony MacGibbon when the teams first met at Hyderabad in 1955-56.

Cairns said they worked on scoring their runs in blocks of 10 in pursuit of the victory target of 213.

Such was McMillan's confidence as the momentum began to build that he played an audacious reverse sweep which went for four on his way to 74 not out from 121 balls and with six fours.

``Stumper (Steve Rixon) said he didn't mind when I played it, provided they all went for four.''

Cairns only missed by two runs seeing the victory through, being dismissed for 61 from 107 balls with nine fours and a six, Dion Nash scoring the winning runs.

New Zealand captain Steve Fleming said he felt the victory was another step along the road to enhancing the Black Caps cricketing character and credibility.

``Beating Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe may not mean so much to some people but India is one of the top few sides in the world,'' he said.

``We are still developing and getting experience in playing in such situations. We could have backed off here but we pushed on and saw it through.''

For Fleming the win is a sixth test victory from just 14 matches, making him the second most successful skipper behind Geoff Howarth, who led New Zealand to 11 test wins in the golden period of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Apart from six wins, there have been five losses and three draws.

Over all, it was New Zealand's 40th test victory, its seventh against India from 36 meetings (13 lost and 16 drawn). The Basin Reserve has now yielded eight test wins for New Zealand (from 32 matches), the last against Zimbabwe earlier this year.

Fleming praised the quality of the wicket.

``It had something early on for the bowlers but the bounce and carry was good. It turned a bit but the pitch held together well.'' New Zealand last scored four wins in a year in 1985.