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Jesse Ryder - Source: Getty Images -
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Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder both struck centuries to lead a New Zealand fight back in the first test against India at Hamilton on Wednesday.
Vettori completed his third test hundred with a superb captain's knock of 118 while Ryder registered his maiden test ton with 102 to rescue New Zealand from a disastrous start and post 279 on the opening day at Seddon Park.
India, in reply, were 29 without loss in their first innings at stumps at the end of an absorbing day with Virender Sehwag unbeaten on 22 and Gautam Gambhir not out six.
India have not won a test series in New Zealand for more than 40 years but thrashed the Kiwis in the one-dayers and could hardly have made a better start to the first of three tests.
The tourists would have been in an even better position had Vettori and Ryder not batted through the entire middle session, adding 186 for the seventh wicket after India's fast bowlers had demolished the New Zealand top order.
Ishant Sharma captured three wickets in a devastating spell before lunch then polished off the innings when he dismissed last-man-out Ryder after tea.
Munaf Patel bagged three wickets, including Vettori then Kyle Mills for a golden duck to be on a hat-trick, while Zaheer Khan triggered the top-order collapse with two early wickets to vindicate Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to field.
Top-Order collapse
New Zealand could not have made a worse start on a placid pitch, losing six wickets before lunch.
Auckland opener Martin Guptill was dismissed for 14 on his test debut, deflecting a good length ball from Khan to Rahul Dravid at third sip.
Daniel Flynn edged down the legside to wicketkeeper Dhoni without scoring in Khan's next over and the paceman was unlucky not to get a third when Sehwag dropped a straight-forward catch at gully off Ross Taylor in the same over.
Taylor and Tim McIntosh briefly steadied the innings with a 23-run partnership before both fell to Sharma as the Indians sensed a quick kill.
Sehwag made amends for his earlier spill when he safely held a catch off McIntosh on 12 then Sharma bowled Taylor for 18.
Sharma collected his third wicket when James Franklin was given out caught behind for a duck although television replays showed the ball flicked his pad and not his bat.
Patel then chipped in to get rid of Brendon McCullum for three when the New Zealand vice-captain presented the slips cordon with another chance that Vangipurappu Laxman snapped up.
New Zealand limped to lunch in complete disarray at 61-6 but Vettori and Ryder held the Indian bowlers at bay for three hours.
Vettori, the more aggressive of the two, raced to his hundred off 139 balls and smacked 14 fours and two sixes before he departed after tea, edging behind to Dhoni.
Ryder, who had been more circumspect, was on 77 when Vetorri was dismissed and raised the tempo as he closed in on a first test ton.
He raced to 98 when he lost Iain O'Brien, stumped for eight after dancing down the pitch to Harbhajan Singh, but brought up his hundred with a boundary in the next over after Chris Martin held up his end for five deliveries from Harbhajan.
Ryder reached his century off 161 deliveries with his 14th four but holed out off the next ball to end the innings.
India faced an anxious half an hour before the close but cut the
deficit to 250 heading into the second day with Sehwag signalling
his intentions with five boundaries
