Harbhajan Singh packed in enough carnage in the last eighty minutes or so to leave a tenacious unit demoralised. For more than five hours, New Zealand had worked hard with the ball and had been spectacular in the field, but Harbhajan's power hitting undid that.
New Zealand could say they managed to control the VVS Laxman situation, getting him out before India could get into a lead, for they took the next three wickets without much delay. Harbhajan, though, went on to score 85 out of the 110 runs that came while he was at the wicket, hitting five sixes and seven fours, and had set himself up for a second century in two innings.
Harbhajan wasn't about raw power. He timed the shots as well as top-order batsmen, and manoeuvred the strike too. One short of 50, he refused three singles, in order to shield Sreesanth, suggesting he had more than that landmark - his third such effort in the last three innings - on his mind. And he did have much more on his mind. Fourteen overs later, the two were still together, had added 69 runs, and had taken India to a sixth score of 400 in their last six first innings.
By the time New Zealand had followed up Laxman's wicket with two three more quick strikes, Harbhajan had smacked a couple, had an odd edge land safe, and was about to stun New Zealand. Immediately after Pragyan Ojha ran himself out, Harbhajan took the matters into his own hands. He danced down and lofted Vettori over long-on for back-to-back sixes to spread the field all over the place.
Then Harbhajan began farming strike, batting like a proper batsman. New Zealand's response was to bounce Sreesanth when Southee got a full over at him, hitting the No. 11 thrice. Still Harbhajan stayed away from reckless hitting, and decided to take the fast bowlers on himself, letting Sreesanth face spin.
And some taking on he did. He walked down to Arnel and lofted him for a dead-straight four, then pulled him for a six, and slogged him over midwicket when the field came up for the last ball. There was no pattern in there that New Zealand could plan for. A slog would be followed by a proper shot, and Vettori ran out of ideas. Harbhajan wasn't sated, and cajoled old friend Sreesanth to stay with him till stumps.