Hamilton, March 21: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh turned in a six-wicket haul as India registered a famous victory by beating New Zealand by 10 wickets in the first Test at Seddon Park here to take a headstart in the three-match series.

The win was India’s first in a Test in New Zealand in 33 years — Sunil Gavaskar’s side won by eight wickets in 1976 at Auckland. It was also the best in terms of margin, eight wickets and 272 runs being the previous best; and only the fifth Test win in Kiwiland. It was a complete turnaround, since India had lost both Tests played in this country on their last tour, in 2003.

The New Zealanders were no match for the Indians, who came on top of every session even as they were not at their best many a time. When the Kiwis began Day Four at 75/3 in their second innings, a massive 166 runs behind the Indian first innings total of 520, the writing was clearly on the wall. They were well and truly trapped, it was only a matter of time before they would be executed. The hosts took the game into the last session though courtesy some stiff resistance from the tail but it was all over bar the shouting by then.

Brendon McCullum put up a late challenge as he cut loose to raise 76 runs with Iain O’Brien for the ninth wicket, the highest partnership of the innings. But once the pair was split, the Kiwi innings closed shut, leaving India a meagre target of 39, which Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid knocked out in a jiffy.

However, Harbhajan Singh was the hero of the day. Bowling brilliantly on a batsman-friendly wicket, the off-spinner returned with figures of 6/63, his 23rd five-wicket haul in a career spanning 75 Tests.

Harbhajan displayed superb skills as he kept the batsmen guessing with constant variations in loop as well as lengths. More often than not, it was too much for the Kiwis, who were all at sea against the top spinner.

Bhajji got the biggest break for India when he got rid of first innings centurion Jesse Ryder, who was beginning to grow in strength as he pulled Zaheer Khan to the boundary once and sent him over the top another time. However, a faster one from the Punjab player rushed through him, trapping the dangerous batsman leg before wicket.

That was half the battle won for India, and the beginning of the Bhajji magic. The Turbanator then mixed up his deliveries very well to grind the Kiwis to dust as he dismissed James Franklin, caught by Munaf Patel in the gully as he tried to drive; the well-set Daniel Flynn (67), whose bat-pad chance was grabbed by an alert Gambhir at forward short leg; captain Daniel Vettori, who edged for wicketkeeper Dhoni to complete the catch.

McCullum and O’Brien were the straws a drowning New Zealand clutched at, after being reduced to 199/8.

The two kept them afloat for a while though, fending off the Indian charge for an hour and 40 minutes. Needless to say, McCullum was the active partner, striking the ball well to blast 11 boundaries and irritate the Indians as he delayed the inevitable with his energetic 84. O’Brien too hung in tough for his 45-ball 14 but in the end, it did not make a difference to the visitors.