India claimed their first Test series victory in New Zealand since 1968 after rain forced the third and final Test to end in a draw on Tuesday.

Bad weather disrupted the final day of the last Test of the series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, allowing the hosts to pick up a draw after being set an improbable target of 617 runs for victory.

As the visitors looked all set to register a 2-0 series victory, the weather refused to relent. The rain forced the teams off 30 minutes into the afternoon session with New Zealand 281 for eight, still 336 runs short, and play was finally called off at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

India won the first Test in Hamilton by 10 wickets, with the second Test at McLean Park ending in a draw after India batted for the final two days to save the game.

They were heading for another thumping victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Kiwis out for 197. Captain MS Dhoni declared India's second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a huge run chase they never looked likely to accomplish.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42. It was Taylor s fourth Test century and second in successive Tests after he scored 151 in the drawn second Test in Napier. Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

The Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh proved to be New Zealand's nemeses, although part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was rewarding. The little master took two wickets for 26 runs in his six-over spell before lunch.

Khan finished with match figures of seven for 122 off 37.3 overs after taking five for 65 in the first innings. Harbhajan ended with seven for 102 off 56 overs after taking four for 59 in New Zealand's second innings.

The final day s play began half an hour early following Monday's early finish. Taylor and Franklin resumed batting in cold, blustery conditions. The pair added a further 59 runs to the overnight score of 167 for four before Taylor was bowled by Harbhajan for 107.

The pair put on 142 runs in total, the highest fifth-wicket partnership by New Zealanders against India. Taylor brought up his fourth Test century with a four down fine leg - his fourth boundary of the morning and 15th in total. But two overs later he was cleaned bowled by Harbhajan to leave New Zealand on 226 for five, still needing 391 to win.

Soon Brendon McCullum followed suit with only six runs in his pocket, caught by Rahul Dravid off the bowling of Sachin Tendulkar, although TV replays appeared to show the ball missing the edge of the bat.

The Kiwi vice-captain would have been out for a duck if Munaf Patel had not missed the catch at mid-off a few overs earlier.

All-rounder James Franklin too could not survive the Tendulkar spell and was trapped leg before wicket while one run short of his third half-century.

At lunch the hosts got to 254 for seven, still needing 363 more to win. Tim Southee survived 13 balls before being given out caught behind by Dhoni off Harbhajan for three.

Iain O'Brien was the next man in and Tendulkar was deprived of another wicket as the tailender was dropped by Ishant Sharma at square leg. Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19 when the rain arrived to spare New Zealand the embarrassment.