Despite 150 minutes of punch and counterpunch, the likely winner was no clearer at the lunch break, as the sun broke through the clouds for the first time on the fourth day.

New Zealand were 119/5 at the break, 41 runs short of their target.

Stephen Fleming, who had looked more assured than for some time, had worked the singles, and taken advantage of Khan tiring to hit three fours in four balls, tried a pull shot against left-armer Ashish Nehra but mis-cued and lobbed a high catch to mid on where Khan held the catch to dismiss him for 32. He had batted 87 minutes and faced 58 balls and hit five fours. New Zealand were 89/3.

Incoming batsman Nathan Astle was greeted with a big leg before wicket appeal but the ball was missing off.

Craig McMillan wasn't so lucky when he got down the other end and was plumb in front of his stumps to be out for 18. He hit a six to force off-spinner Harbhajan Singh out of the attack after his two overs cost 14 runs and when he departed New Zealand were 90/4.

Astle, always a diffident starter, looked more comfortable once he had an off-driven boundary under his belt, Yohannan being the bowler concerned.

However, when Sourav Ganguly made a bowling change, bringing back Zaheer Khan for Nehra, who had taken three for 20, it had almost immediate effect.

Astle took two runs from the first ball, but as he pulled at a shorter ball heading down the leg-side, he got a glove to it and wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel made a superb dive to his left to pull in the catch. He was out for 14 and New Zealand were 105/5.

It was left to relative newcomers, Scott Styris, in his third Test, and Jacob Oram, in his second, to get New Zealand through to lunch.

Oram could take some confidence from a lovely off driven boundary from Khan in the last over before the break.

Styris, too, wasted no time in feasting on a half volley wide of off stump to unleash a lovely cover drive, also for four runs and off the last ball before the break he took three runs.

Styris was nine not out and Oram six not out.

New Zealand had 66 runs on the board, needing another 94 to win, while India have two wickets.

Stephen Fleming was 23 not out and Craig McMillan was six not out.

Conditions were overcast but with mild temperatures and the barest of breezes.

New Zealand started slowly but India had the first breakthrough when Lou Vincent groped at a ball outside off from Tinu Yohannan and was caught by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel for nine when the score was 30. He had batted for 79 minutes without ever looking comfortable.

Mark Richardson played straight for much of his innings but when left-arm medium-pacer Ashish Nehra got a ball to straighten on Richardson, it clipped the edge of his bat and flew to a delighted Patel. Richardson scored 28 in 116 minutes.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming became the key figure in the innings. After his pre-Test comments that India's batsmen needed to prove their right to world-class status, and then his comment during the match that it was the team that wanted victory the most who would win the game, he had to lead from the front.

He was able to take advantage of a tiring Zaheer Khan to take three boundaries in four balls, one an off-drive, one through the vacant fourth slip and the last on driven. Khan took a break having bowled eight overs for 29 runs.

Tinu Yohannan had a long spell bowling from the southern end and was very controlled in his accuracy, however, one slightly leg-side ball was whipped away for four runs by Craig McMillan to get his scoring underway.