India yet again lost its way on foreign shores conceding the second Test and the series to New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling fourth day's play in Hamilton. Defending a total of 160 against the hosts, India, thanks to the late introduction of spin into the attack and lots of boundary balls, failed to wrap up the match.

A sharp catch by Parthiv Patel seemed to turn the game India's way. Nathan Astle, New Zealand's finest batsman, swung at a Zaheer Khan delivery, got an edge that flew wide down leg-side. The diminutive Patel dived full-length to his left and held onto the catch. That single piece of lithe keeping from Patel had the hosts, with a brittle middle-order, gasping at 105-5 requiring another 55 runs to win the Test.

In the end, keeper Robert Hart and Jacob Oram strung together a decisive 24-run partnership and managed to register for the first time back-to-back Test wins against India.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly began India's defence with Tinu Yohannan and Zaheer Khan. Tinu, bowling with a beautiful seam position, had Lou Vincent caught at the wicket with a straight delivery outside the off-stump. The right-hander's dismissal made bowling easier for the seamers since it brought two left-handed batsmen at the crease.

Zaheer Khan, the star performer with the ball throughout the series, was off-colour in his morning spell and was taken apart by skipper Stephen Fleming. In one particular over, Fleming drove him on either side of the wicket for boundaries and edged one through the slip cordon to reduce the victory target.

In small chases, one big over can change the equation of the game. The opening half-hour of the morning belonged to the Kiwis as they were coasting at 47-1 with the innings gaining momentum.

Overnight batsman Mark Richardson played straight with the full-face of the bat and picked up important runs in the company of his skipper before left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra turned his arm over and swung the fortunes of the match.

Nehra pitched one on off-stump and moved it a shade away from Richardson, who edged the ball to the keeper. At 52-2 and with their opening batsman gone, India sniffed the gunpowder for a fight.

In a surprising move, Harbhajan Singh was introduced in the 32nd over of the innings after new batsman Craig McMillan, in terrible form throughout the series, was allowed a few overs to settle down.

Anyone watching the series would have grasped the fact that the Kiwi batsmen struggled against the loop and guile of Harbhajan and yet, to bring him on after almost an hour and a half of play was nothing short of inanity. Defending a small total, you throw all the stockpile of ammunition at the opposition to probe its depth.

The strategy, rather the lack of it, was balanced by Nehra, who having found the rhythm he missed in England, forced a false shot from skipper Fleming. Surprising Fleming with a ball that jumped at him, Nehra had the Kiwi skipper pulling and holing out to Zaheer Khan at mid-wicket.

At 89-3, Nehra had bowled India back into contention. With the lung of a marathon runner, Nehra bowled ten overs on the trot and capped it with his third wicket, that of McMillan, trapped in front with one that nipped back sharply.

Astle followed soon after to the superlative catch by Patel. Thus, half the Kiwi side was resting in the dressing room at lunch with another 41 required to win.

Scott Styris and Jacob Oram wove a breezy 31-run partnership that seemed to swing the game New Zealand's way before Harbhajan Singh provided his turn to the match.

Tossing one up, the wily offie had Styris shaping to cut the ball and managing to edge the ball to Patel behind the wicket. The sharp chance taken by Patel had the Kiwis doubting themselves yet again with victory another 24 runs away.

Keeper Robert Hart and Jacob Oram ensured against any more fall of wickets and quietly squeezed the 24 runs on the scoreboard to give the Kiwis a memorable win.

The Indian bowlers, who have been at the receiving end of severe criticism all year, put up an exemplary effort despite having small totals to defend.

India's fortunes seemed to have gone downhill in their Test performances this year. After winning its maiden overseas Test in 16 years outside the subcontinent in the Caribbean, it lost the series to the West Indies. Next, it drew the series against England with some of the finest performances in recent times.

The 2-0 defeat against New Zealand will hurt India very much as they end their Test campaign for the year from where they started out, at the bottom.

And though India might perform well in the seven-match one-day series against the Kiwis, sterner tests lie ahead for India with the World Cup in South Africa and the tour of Australia looming large.