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Laxman anchors India towards first-innings lead

Laxman scored his 48th half-century to keep India on course for a first-innings lead as New Zealand picked up vital wickets on day three in the second Test on Sunday.

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At tea, the hosts were at 323 runs for five wickets, trailing by 27 runs, with Laxman (74 not out) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) at the crease.

The hosts lost the wickets of Rahul Dravid (45) and Suresh Raina (20) in the second session after the loss of Sachin Tendulkar (13) in the fifth over of the day.

Captain Daniel Vettori picked up Tendulkar and Raina to add to his overnight scalp of Virender Sehwag to lead a disciplined bowling and inspired fielding performance by the visitors.

Dravid and Laxman added 75 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was trapped plumb in front by paceman Tim Southee.

The stylish Laxman, playing his first test in front of his home crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, also added 52 runs for the fifth with Raina, who holed out to Martin Guptill at mid-wicket trying to clear Vettori out of the ground. Tendulkar tried to break the shackles, imposed on him by some fine swing bowling by paceman Chris Martin, by dancing down the wicket to Vettori but only managed to get a thick edge. Ross Taylor at slip took a smart one-handed catch.

The three-match series is tied at 0-0 after the opening test was drawn in Ahmedabad. The third and final test will be played in Nagpur from Nov. 20-24.