Australia puts NZ in a corner

　　India clinched a 195-run victory in the second test yesterday as leg-spinner Anil Kumble snared seven wickets to run through the Pakistan batting order.

　　Kumble claimed seven for 63 to bundle Pakistan out for 226 chasing a massive victory target of 422.

　　India scored 407 and 407 for nine declared in its two innings, while Pakistan posted 393 in its first.

　　Kumble claimed five or more wickets in an innings for the 29th time in his 94-test career, and the fourth time in eight matches against Pakistan.

　　Adding to his first innings haul of three for 98, Kumble finished with match figures of 10 for 161 - claiming 10 wickets in a test match for the seventh time, the second time versus Pakistan.

　　This is India's first win in six tests at Calcutta's Eden Gardens against Pakistan, whose highest successful victory chase is 315 against Australia at Karachi in 1994. In the last contest in 1999, the opening match of the Asian Test Championship, Pakistan won by 46 runs.

　　In last week's first test, Pakistan salvaged a draw from a desperate position. But this reversal at Calcutta highlighted Pakistan's poor recent show - marking its seventh defeat in 10 tests beginning with last year's home series against India that the tourists clinched 2-1.

　　Indian captain Sourav Ganguly complimented Kumble for his match-winning spell on a slow-turning pitch that was still good for batting. "Our bowlers bowled exceptionally well and Kumble's performance, once again, left me short of words to describe it," said Ganguly.

　　Resuming at its overnight score of 95 for one, Pakistan was rocked by Kumble's first delivery of the day that had Younis Khan, century-maker and top-scorer in the first innings, stumped by Dinesh Karthik for a duck as he lost balance in trying to flick a delivery to the onside.

　　Kumble, who had removed attacking opener Shahid Afridi on Saturday, clean bowled skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq for 13 and had Yousuf Yohanna caught by Gautam Gambhir at forward short-leg for 22 to complete his 50 wickets in eight tests against Pakistan.

　　Pakistan captain Inzamam said all his batsmen had got among runs on this tour, but they couldn't combine their efforts in this test. "We had our chances in this match, but failed to consolidate ourselves from 280 for two in the first innings," said Inzamam. "We should've reached 500 in our first knock and that could have changed the result."

　　Ganguly said Saturday's match-turning knocks by Rahul Dravid - whose centuries in both innings got him the man of the match award - and Karthik put India in a commanding position.

　　"Pakistan was competitive in this test before Dravid and Karthik turned the game our way," said Ganguly.

　　In Wellington, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn bludgeoned centuries in a devastating partnership that left Australia in complete control of the second test against New Zealand yesterday.

　　Martyn made a career-best 165 while Gilchrist belted 162 to help Australia post 570 for eight declared in the first inning.

　　New Zealand crashed to 122 for four in reply at stumps on the third day and facing the likelihood of having to bat for another two days just to save the test.

　　Gilchrist said Australia was supremely confident of victory after New Zealand crumbled to lose last week's opening test by nine wickets inside four days. "Pressure is an amazing thing," Gilchrist said.

　　Glenn McGrath did the early damage with the ball, trapping New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming leg before wicket for a golden duck after he failed to offer a shot, then dismissing the in-form Hamish Marshall for 18, caught by Jason Gillespie at long leg after a mistimed pull shot.

　　Opener Craig Cumming departed for 37 when he chopped a ball from Michael Kasprowicz on then Nathan Astle gave Shane Warne a simple catch at slip off part-time spinner Michael Clarke.

　　(AP/Reuters)