By Matt Munford in Hamilton

INDIA'S dream start turned sour on the first day of the third and final Test against New Zealand here.

New Zealand, who lead the series 1-0, punished some dreadful bowling and poor fielding to reach 283 for five at the close, after Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin had won the toss.

His decision seemed justified early on. In the first five balls, paceman Javagal Srinath removed opener Matthew Bell and captain Stephen Fleming - both for ducks - leaving New Zealand on no runs for two wickets.

For Bell it was his third duck in two Tests, while Fleming's wicket came as a result of a poor shot, rather than great bowling. By lunch, though, Sourav Ganguly had gone for 22 runs in one 10-ball over and the bowler also received his second warning for running on the pitch.

The hosts quickly recovered after the disastrous first over, with opening batsman Matthew Horne steadying the ship and then going on the attack before Srinath bowled him for 63. He had hit five fours in quick succession after lunch before dragging a hook shot on to his stumps.

There was no relief for India, though, as Roger Twose and Craig McMillan ruthlessly plundered the frail Indian bowling. India did not strike again until late in the afternoon, when McMillan, on 92 off only 102 balls, skied a delivery from Anil Kumble and was caught by Venkatesh Prasad.

Twose shared a partnership of 160 with McMillan which set a record for New Zealand's fourth wicket against India, eclipsing the 125 between John Wright and Mark Greatbach at Christchurch in 1989-90. Twose went just before stumps for 87, caught by wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia off Prasad.

Day 2: Dravid stands firm

By D J Rutnagur in Hamilton

THE impetuosity of their batsmen, compelled perhaps by being one down in the series, could cost India another defeat against New Zealand in the third Test. India, with half their wickets gone almost all gifted and including that of Sachin Tendulkar trailed New Zealand by 170 runs at the end of the second day.

Rahul Dravid was one batsman to flourish and remained unbeaten with 93. He kept his cool, showed appreciation of a bouncy, but true, pitch and played each ball on its merit.

A marauding Tendulkar, with whom Dravid shared a partnership of 109 after openers Navjot Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja departed at 17, made 67 off 93 balls.

Tendulkar needed luck to get away with his frequent excesses, but fortune deserted him when Dion Nash rapped him on the pad a second time in two balls and he was given out lbw. TV replays suggested the decision was a little harsh.

New Zealand, who were put in on a hard and green pitch after Mohammad Azharuddin had won his fourth toss in five Tests since reassuming the captaincy, had lost two wickets to Javagal Srinath in the opening over, but recovered to extend their innings beyond lunch.

Day 3: Indian tail goes into bat for Dravid

By D J Rutnagur in Hamilton

RAHUL DRAVID, light on his feet and immaculate in the making of his strokes, played an innings of 190 which almost certainly extinguished New Zealand's hopes of winning the third Test against India, which had looked very possible earlier on yesterday's third day.

Losing two wickets in the first half hour, India were 211 for seven and lagging 155 runs behind. As it happened, only 16 overs of the day remained when New Zealand began their second innings not with a lead but with a deficit of 50 runs.

Dravid batted for just over eight hours before a tired shot off the back foot deposited the ball in backward point's hands. His lease, however, would not have been so extended had he not been so gallantly supported by the lower order, represented by the two whose principal function is to open India's bowling, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad. Scoring 76 and 30 not out, they collaborated with Dravid in the accumulation of 205 runs. Dravid's partnership with Srinath produced 144 runs, beating by one run India's previous best eighth-wicket stand against New Zealand, between Bapu Nadkarni and Farrokh Engineer in Madras in 1964-65.

Also, this was the day when New Zealand, so impeccable in the field hitherto in the series, repaid India the debt of missed chances that helped them win the second Test last week. None of their blunders, however, was to the advantage of Dravid, whose bat was all middle.

The beneficiary was Srinath. He should have been run out when he was four and caught at five, had Daniel Vettori from second slip not dived at a snick which was a sitter for first slip.

Then after lunch, when Srinath was in his 30s, Adam Parore's gloves failed to close round a glanced chance off Dion Nash, who almost tore his flowing locks out when Matthew Bell in the slips put down another snick. That was not all. Luck was so committed to Srinath's welfare that other miscues went near but not near enough to fieldsmen. Those yips notwithstanding, Srinath batted quite sensibly, as did Prasad, therafter.

As for Dravid, who had a Test average in excess of 50 at the start of this series, he was quite distraught at failing in Wellington and, after his second cheap dismissal, was seen in earnest conver- sation with Sunil Gavaskar. The old master's counsel was obviously sound.

Dravid cuts a dash only when he square cuts, making room for the shot with twinkling footwork. Otherwise, he is stately as he drives off the front foot. He takes his time over his runs but, for sheer grace, is eminently watchable. After this innings, his average is probably in the 60s, even above the mighty Tendulkar's.

Day 4: New Zealand near series win

By D J Rutnagur in Hamilton

SO often have New Zealand and India gained and relinquished strong positions during the current series that making predictions has become a precarious business. But it did seem at the end of the penultimate day that the third Test was heading for a draw, which would suffice to give New Zealand the series, 1-0.

There were, yesterday, two situations in which India must have seen the prospect of victory. The first was just before lunch, when New Zealand, who had started the day just five runs in the red and with all 10 wickets intact, slumped to 85 for four.

The other crucial point was shortly after tea, when the two batsmen who had revitalised their innings, Craig McMillan and Adam Parore, were both out with the score on 225, New Zealand's lead then being just 175.

This time, India's hopes were dashed by Chris Cairns and Dion Nash with an unfinished partnership of 98 plundered from the last 28 overs, during which the second new ball was taken. Now only an abject collapse could put New Zealand, 273 ahead, under fresh threat.

Their innings of 84 and 52 not out respectively by McMillan and Cairns, were immensely exciting, particularly McMillan's.

He drove straight and through the covers, cut and pulled and in the hour after lunch, the score advanced by 76, Parore doing no more than playing a supporting role. For the third time in the series and the second time in this match, McMillan fell short of a century, edging a back-foot force to the off. Parore, who made 50, mis-hit and lofted a sweep.

This twin success should have been a spur to the Indian bowlers. But they could not be roused and Cairns, using his reach, drove them imperiously to maintain the momentum set by McMillan and Parore. Nash seemed less prominent in the fresh onslaught but he was just as productive.

New Zealand scored only 44 runs in the morning not wholly because they were setting out their stall for a draw. They lost two important wickets, those of Matthew Horne, who was defeated by a good ball from Javagal Srinath, and Stephen Fleming, who was too late shouldering arms.

The surviving opener, Matthew Bell, was so inhibited by fear of another failure that it took him 51 balls to play the first of only four scoring strokes he managed in 83 minutes before succumbing to Sachin Tendulkar.

Day 5: Dravid feasts on tasty offerings

By D J Rutnagur in Hamilton

THE third Test between New Zealand and India was destined for a draw long before Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly completed centuries that were highly entertaining but Pyrrhic, because the bowling they dispatched to all parts was, for the most part, provided by non-regulars.

Nevertheless, Dravid cannot be denied membership of the club of batsmen who have made separate hundreds in the same match. Only two other Indians belong to it: Sunil Gavaskar, who performed the feat twice against the West Indies and once against Pakistan; and Vijay Hazare, who, in 1948, was pitted against Lindwall and Miller in their prime.

Although nothing was at stake, the two batsmen took the option of playing the dispensable last half-hour to complete their centuries and having done so in 14 balls, they walked off.

Declaring 13 minutes after lunch, when Chris Cairns gave himself up after scoring 126, his second century in Test cricket, and New Zealand were 414 runs ahead, Stephen Fleming gave India 56 overs' batting. He said that he was never going to put his 1-0 lead in the series at risk.

But Fleming added that he might have declared earlier had the pitch deteriorated and had three of his bowlers not been incapacitated. Dion Nash, who suffered his first dismissal in the series by getting run out after contributing 63 to a partnership of 148 with Cairns, was said to have had a spasm in the back. Daniel Vettori, who made 43 not out, had an injured finger while Simon Doull was heatstruck.

Cairns, who was named man of the match, is obviously made of sterner stuff. Directly after an innings of 200 minutes, he opened the bowling and duly dispatched the two opening batsmen, Navjot Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja.