VVS Laxman scored an unbeaten 124 and Yuvraj Singh 54 as India played out a draw with New Zealand in the second Test in Napier on Monday.
Resuming the last day of the match on 252 for two, India suffered an early setback when Sachin Tendulkar (64) was caught behind by Brendon McCullum off Chris Martin in the fifth over of the day. However, overnight centurion Gautam Gambhir and Laxman dispelled whatever hopes the Kiwis may have entertained of forcing a win with a stubborn 96-run partnership for the fourth wicket, as India, following-on, India declared their second essay at 476 for 4, a lead of 162.
With no hope of a result, both captains immediately agreed to call of the match with 17 overs remaining.
Laxman and Yuvraj were unseparated in the end, the elegant Hyderabadi right-hander registering his 14th Test century and the latter his first half-century outside the subcontinent in 16 innings.
The teams now move to Wellington for the series decider at Basin Reserve, beginning April 3.
Gambhir, who has been in the thick of runs since making a comeback in 2007, played a marathon innings before being dismissed for 137 shortly before tea after nearly 11 hours at the crease. He was trapped lbw by off-spinner Jeetan Patel about 30 minutes before the break after 642 minutes at the crease and facing 436 balls.
It was the seventh longest innings by an Indian, second longest outside the subcontinent and longest in the New Zealand.
It was also the fourth lowest score in Tests for anyone batting over 10 hours in a single innings.
Only New Zealand's Jeff Crowe (120 in 609 minutes), Sri Lanka's Asanka Gurusinha (128 in 607 minutes) and West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul (136 not out in 675 minutes) have scored fewer runs.
It was a near-chanceless innings by the 27-year-old. The only blemish was when, on 125, he hit the ball straight to mid-on, where pace bowler Iain O'Brien proceeded to juggle then drop a sitter.
India's lead at the time was just 13 runs after they were forced to follow-after being bowled out for 305 in their first innings, in reply to New Zealand's 619 for nine declared.
Tendulkar, who had begun the day on 58, punched the fourth ball of the day through backward point to signal that he did not want to waste any time getting to his 43rd Test century.
The 35-year-old, however, added just two further runs before he was drawn forward by a Martin delivery that shaped away and a diving McCullum completed a superb catch to end his 97-run third-wicket partnership with Gambhir.
Interestingly, 100 of Laxman's unbeaten 124 runs came through boundaries as the wristy batsman made the Kiwis pay for bowling into his pads and rib-cage. He was particularly severe on a short-ball happy Iain O'Brien and man of the match Jesse Ryder.
