Seven-wicket Southee helps Kiwis gain lead

Tim Southee took a maiden seven-wicket haul to help New Zealand gain a 12-run lead over India on the third day of the second and final Test in Bangalore on Sunday. The 23-year-old paceman finished with 7-64, the best by a New Zealander in a Test innings in India, as the hosts were bowled out for 353 in the morning session in reply to the tourists' 365. New Zealand were 29 without loss in their second innings at lunch for an overall lead of 41, with Brendon McCullum unbeaten on 21 and Martin Guptill on seven not out at the break. New Zealand struck with the second new ball, which was taken immediately after it was due, as India added 70 runs to their overnight total of 283-5. Southee claimed four of the five Indian wickets that fell in the morning session, including those of middle-order batsman Virat Kohli (103) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (62). He took all of his wickets with the second new ball, conceding 28 runs in his sharp eight-over spell. Kohli, playing only his 10th Test, cracked one six and 14 fours in his second hundred, and his first in India, while Dhoni hit two sixes and eight fours in his second successive Test half-century. The pair added 122 for the sixth wicket. Kohli, 93 overnight, flicked pacemen Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult for fours to reach his hundred but fell soon, trapped leg-before offering no stroke to a Southee delivery that came in. Dhoni straight-drove the first delivery from new-ball bowler Boult for a boundary to complete his 26th Test half-century. He added just 16 to his overnight score of 46 when he fell lbw to become Southee's 50th Test victim.