Napier (New Zealand), Mar. 30 : India on Monday proved that it is a side very keen to acquire champion status by converting a no-win situation into which it was placed on the third day into a very creditable draw on the fifth and final day of the second Test against New Zealand at the MaClean Park in Napier.

Having been asked by the Kiwis to follow on 314 runs behind on the third day of the Test, India's batters put up a spirited reply and pushed the Test towards a draw with a second innings score of 476 for four.

Napier, Mar. 29 : Batsman Jesse Ryder is on track to becoming the fastest New Zealand cricketer to reach 1000 test runs.

According to a Sunday Star report, Ryder has so far scored 768 runs from 14 test innings and needs another 232 to reach 1000.

The Kiwi record holders for the fastest 1000 runs, a benchmark in test cricket, are John F Reid and Mark Richardson, who both took 20 innings to post a grand.

Napier(New Zealand),Mar. 27 : New Zealand vice-captain Brendon McCullum is expecting an Indian onslaught with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar at the crease at the end of the second day's play in the Napier Test.

"There''s world class players still at the crease and world class players still to come. It''ll take an amazing effort from us to try and get through these next couple of batsmen," McCullum said.

Napier (New Zealand), Mar. 26 : New Zealand''s middle order batsmen Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder put India''s much vaunted pace and spin attack to the sword here on Thursday, the first day of the second Test between the two sides after initial hiccups.

At the draw of stumps, New Zealand were sitting pretty on 351 for four, with Ryder unbeaten on 137 with 17 boundaries and a six and James Franklin on 26 with five boundaries. Taylor had earlier scored a violent 151 with 26 boundaries and a six.