First Test, Ahmedabad: day three Anil Kumble claimed his 350th Test victim as India worked their way through a determined New Zealand side on day three of the Ahmedabad Test. Kumble's landmark moment came when he had Jacob Oram caught for five in the final session.
He became the 14th bowler to achieve 350 Test wickets, and he is second only to Kapil Dev (434) for India.
The tourists were 282-8 at the close after Nathan Astle's 103 gave them a chance of avoiding the follow-on.
Astle needed a slice of luck on 93 when he was dropped by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel off Harbhajan Singh.
But Patel made amends when he completed a stumping to finally bring Astle's innings to a close.
 |  If we can avoid the follow-on, we have a very good chance of saving the Test |
He is the first New Zealand batsman to score a hundred in India since John Parker and Glenn Turner did so in 1976.
His wicket was a fitting reward for Harbhajan Singh, who was the pick of the Indian bowlers and ended the day with 2-80 from 33 overs.
New Zealand had resumed on 41-3 and made India wait for over an hour to achieve their first breakthrough of the day.
Styris escaped 19 when Akash Chopra failed to hang onto a diving chance at short leg, but the same fielder made no mistake when the total had reached 108.
| KUMBLE'S RECORD 350 wickets in 77 Tests, average 28.04, best bowling figures 10-74 308 wickets in 241 one-dayers, average 29.63, best bowling figures 6-12 |
McMillan proved an equally determined replacement and he collected eight boundaries as he kept Astle company for 27 overs either side of lunch.
Ganguly eventually turned to Virender Sehwag's occasional leg-spin to try and end the partnership and it proved a shrewd move as McMillan departed.
Astle followed soon after the tea interval and Kumble accounted for Oram, with the help of Rahul Dravid's catch, three overs later.
He also has 308 one-day international wickets - only Wasim Akram,Waqar Younis and Muttiah Muralitharan have also taken more than 300 in both forms of the game.
Debutant Lakshmipathy Balaji claimed his first Test scalp by having Robbie Hart lbw for 15.
Daniel Vettori (28) and Paul Wiseman (eight) blocked out the final 10 overs and the Kiwis need another 19 to save the follow-on.
India: A Chopra, V Sehwag, S R Tendulkar, R Dravid, V V S Laxman, S C Ganguly (Capt), P A Patel (Wkt), A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, L Balaji.
New Zealand: M H Richardson, S P Fleming (Capt), L Vincent, N J Astle, S B Styris, C D McMillan, R G Hart (Wkt), J D P Oram, D L Vettori, P J Wiseman, D R Tuffey.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa).
Third umpire: I.Shivaram. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
MMIX
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