October 20, 2003	Monday	Sha'aban 23, 1424

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MOHALI (India), Oct 19: Vangipurappu Laxman led India’s survival bid with an unbeaten 86 in their fight to avoid defeat in the second and final Test against New Zealand on the fourth day on Sunday.

Laxman, who made an Indian record of 281 against Australia at Kolkata two years ago, hung on for 226 balls to get the home side out of trouble after they had been reduced to 218 for three in reply to New Zealand’s huge first innings of 630 for six.

The Indians reached 390 for six at close, still 41 runs behind the follow-on target of 431, but the Kiwis need an improbable 14 wickets on the final day on Monday to win their first Test series in India.

The 28-year-old Laxman shared in a 112-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sachin Tendulkar, who struck a surprisingly sedate 55, off 175 balls and including six fours.

Tendulkar, playing his 107th Test, became the fifth-highest run scorer in Test history when he surpassed Pakistani Javed Miandad’s 8,832 by driving quick bowler Ian Butler for a straight boundary to move to eight.

Only Australians Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,660), India’s Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) and England’s Graham Gooch (8,900) and have scored more runs in Tests.

The Indians, 203 for one overnight, quickly lost stand-in skipper Rahul Dravid (13), who edged Butler to wicket-keeper Robbie Hart, and Virender Sehwag (130), bowled by medium-pacer Scott Styris, in Sunday’s first session.

Tendulkar and Laxman consolidated with a slow but steady partnership, milking the bowlers for singles and punishing the odd bad ball to the boundary.

But left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, who had first-spell figures of 12-3-14-0 kept them on tenterhooks with his accuracy.

Laxman drove Tuffey through the covers and then hit Vettori for a rare boundary through long-on before bringing up his 17th Test 50 by flicking off-spinner Paul Wiseman for a couple.

Tendulkar fell to the first ball after tea when Vettori finally had him caught off bat-pad by Mark Richardson at silly point.

Local boy Yuvraj Singh lofted Vettori for a big six over mid-wicket but managed only 20 runs.

Tuffey had him caught behind with an away-swinger to become the 24th New Zealand bowler to pick up 50 Test wickets.