India secured their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 on Tuesday after drawing the third Test.Rain may have prevented the tourists thrashing the home side, but the draw was all they needed for the historic 1-0 series win.
New Zealand were poised on the brink of defeat at 281 for eight when rain started falling about half an hour into the session after lunch on the fifth day, and continuing showers prevented play resuming.
With only two second innings wickets remaining, New Zealand remained 336 runs adrift of the massive target of 617 set by India when they declared at 434 for seven early the previous day.
By Tuesday morning, the series result had not been in doubt with the visitors needing only a draw, coming into the final Test with a 1-0 lead after thrashing the hosts by 10 wickets in the first Test in Hamilton.
India's star-laden batting lineup proved too much for New Zealand's bowling attack and the home side's brittle batting line up came up short at crucial times.
The third test draw calls into question India's conservatism in deciding to bat on during the early part of the fourth day to extend their lead to 616, although rain on Tuesday had been forecast for several days.
The previous highest successful Test fourth innings run chase was 418 scored by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.
India's charge towards victory on Tuesday was led by offspinning star Harbhajan Singh, who took the prize wicket of New Zealand century maker Ross Taylor on his way to a haul of four for 59.
Sachin Tendulkar is known as the "Little Master for his batting but he showed he also knows a few things about bowling by taking two for 45 with his tricky leg spinners.
Taylor's dismissal for 107 signalled a mini-collapse that saw New Zealand slump from 226 for four to 253 for seven in the space of eight overs in less than an hour before lunch.
With allrounder James Franklin, Taylor provided a ray of hope for the scattering of New Zealand fans who braved gale force winds at the Basin Reserve.
The pair had put on 142 runs for the fifth wicket since coming together on Monday afternoon, when New Zealand was at risk of collapse at 84 for four.
Taylor's defiant fourth Test century was brought to an end when he was bowled by a beautifully flighted straight ball from Harbhajan.
His 165 ball innings over 261 minutes included 16 boundaries, as he mixed watchfulness with a willingness to attack any loose balls.
Tendulkar, bowling for the first time in the Test on Tuesday morning, had the New Zealand batsmen in trouble straight away, extracting plenty of turn on the Basin Reserve wicket.
He may have been lucky to get McCullum out for six, with replays suggesting the batsman may not have edged the turning ball before it deflected off wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's gloves into the safe hands of slip Rahul Dravid.
A day earlier, the 36-year-old Dravid passed Mark Waugh's world record of 181 catches for a fieldsman in Tests and has since extended his record to 184.
Just minutes before lunch, Tendulkar also claimed the wicket of Franklin, trapping him lbw after a patient innings lasting more than four hours.
Tim Southee fell for three after lunch, becoming Harbhajan's fourth victim when he was given out caught by Dhoni, although television replays suggested he might also have been unlucky.
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