The Indian Cricket Team is only getting stronger as the Test progresses.  Yesterday the Indian Cricket Team posted a 349-5 score at stumps led by stalwarts Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar.  Gautam Gambhir made 167 and Sachin Tendulkar fell for nine in what may be his last Test innings in Wellington, New Zealand.  India is now on the verge of claiming its first Test series win in New Zealand in 41 years despite the bitterly cold and windy conditions.

It was truly a team effort out there in which everyone contributed.  Rahul Dravid scored 60 and V.V.S. Laxman scored 61 as India took a 531-run lead over New Zealand with five second-innings wickets intact and two full days remaining.  The two cricket clubs have been pretty competitive against one another, but Day 3 of the Test was a day where the Indian Cricket team is starting to pull away, perhaps for good.

Gambhir posted his sixth Test century, his second in three innings, and recorded his third-highest Test score after his 206 against Australia and 179 against England.  Just a couple of weeks ago against this very same New Zealand team, Sachin Tendulkar posted his 52nd half-century, becoming the second most-capped player in history.  Tendulkar didn't really fare as well as he is used to performing.

When the 35-year-old star batsman left the field to generous applause Sunday after his brief innings, he had scored 857 runs in 20 innings in New Zealand at an average of 45.  Tendulkar has scored two Test centuries in New Zealand, the best of which was his 160 in the first innings of this year's first test at Hamilton.  At 35 years of age, father time might just start catching up with arguably cricket's greatest player, though he has shown in this Test that he's still got some magic left.

India dismissed New Zealand Saturday for 197 in reply to its first innings of 379, and was 51-1, 233 runs ahead, when play began Sunday.  It continued to gain momentum thanks largely to Gambhir, who batted 352 minutes and hit 16 boundaries and two sixes, and with the assistance of Dravid and Laxman.

India has a maximum of six sessions to win the match - a time frame which Gambhir feels is more than enough even if bad light and the potential for rain are factored in.  The stumps had to be drawn 25 minutes early due to bad weather and lighting.

"If we can't get them out in that time we don't deserve to win this Test match - we don't need two days to get them out," Gambhir said. "With the type of bowling we have I think we can get them out. Any team will find it difficult to bat five sessions with the attack we have."

India won the first Test at Hamilton by 10 wickets, drew the second at Napier and now needs only a draw at the Basin Reserve to clinch a Test series victory in New Zealand for the first time since Indian's first toured here in 1968.

New Zealand can only muster up a minimal attack throughout the third Test day, claiming the wickets of Gambhir and Laxman in a shortened third session.

"It was quite tough standing out there for 90 overs with wind howling in your face, but I guess we've done pretty well," New Zealand opener Martin Guptill said.  "I'm sure they will declare at some stage but I'm not sure when. They could declare overnight, they could declare tomorrow, but we have to be ready to bat for a long time whenever they do."

We'll keep you posted on the progress of this Test series.

So how do you guys feel about India getting closer to their first Test series win in 41 years vs. New Zealand?  Do you think Sachin Tendulkar can still perform at the highest of levels?  Drop us a comment with your thoughts.