October 18, 2003	Saturday	Sha'aban 21, 1424

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MOHALI (India), Oct 17: Mark Richardson and Scott Styris slammed career-best centuries as New Zealand amassed a record-breaking 536 for five against India on day two of the second and final Test on Friday.

Richardson struck 145, including 19 fours, to beat his previous best 143 against Bangladesh in 2001. Styris, playing his seventh Test, scored 119 in 231 balls to surpass his debut 107 against West Indies last year.

It was New Zealand’s highest total against India, surpassing the 502 they scored at Christchurch in 1967-68.

Opener Lou Vincent hammered 106 on Thursday, making it only the seventh time ever and first against India that the top three batsmen have scored centuries in a Test innings.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming chipped in with a 34-ball cameo of 30, including three fours and a six, and Craig McMillan added to India’s misery with a quickfire unbeaten 58.

Stand-in Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, leading in place of the injured Saurav Ganguly, continued to struggle in his first Test as captain when he dropped Richardson, on 111, at slip off leg spinner Anil Kumble.

Dravid floored another regulation slip catch when Richardson was on 10.

Richardson, who had braved severe leg cramps on Thursday, reached another personal milestone by passing 2,000 Test runs when he hit off spinner Harbhajan Singh for four to move to 123.

But the 32-year-old opener was generally content to play second fiddle to Styris, who hammered 10 fours and two sixes on a wicket giving little assistance to the bowlers.

Styris started slowly but cut loose after lunch, reaching fifty with a four over bowler Harbhajan’s head and driving seamer Zaheer Khan for two consecutive fours before lofting Harbhajan for a straight six.

Styris got to his century, off 196 balls, by steering leg-spinner Kumble to third man for three runs that also took the Kiwis past the 400-mark. He was finally trapped lbw by a Kumble flipper that pitched on middle-stump and held its line.

Harbhajan grabbed his 150th Test wicket in his 35th match when he had Nathan Astle caught behind for 18.

Harbhajan is the 10th Indian to reach the milestone and the third fastest behind Kumble and off spinner Erapalli Prasanna, who had both reached 150 wickets in their 34th Tests.

Meanwhile, selectors have recalled wristy batsman Vangipurappu Laxman for a one-day triangular tournament with Australia and New Zealand starting next Thursday.

Squad: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Vangipurappu Laxman, Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Aavishkar Salvi, Murali Kartik.