Black Caps in strong position

Jesse Ryder highlighted the Black Caps' superb first innings after reaching 201 runs to become New Zealand's 11th double-centurion. Jeetan Patel and skipper Daniel Vettori also played their part after taking one and two wickets respectively after tea to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.

Rahul Dravid finished the day unbeaten on 21 for India alongside Sachin Tendulkar, who had yet to score.

New Zealand had resumed the morning on 351 for four and Ryder and James Franklin set about building on that lead as they combined for 121.

Franklin needlessly became the only wicket to fall during the first session when he was run out after reaching his second Test half-century.

Ryder brought up his double century but was dismissed the very next ball by Zaheer Kahn and was clearly furious with himself, slamming his bat into the floor and disconsolately walking off to a standing ovation from the McLean Park crowd.

But an unbroken 115-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Vettori had the Black Caps on a mammoth 592 for six at tea.

The Kiwi skipper was dismissed for 55 when he chopped on a delivery from Ishant Sharma before McCullum was dismissed for 115 when he smashed a Sharma delivery to deep point where Tendulkar made the catch.

By then, the hosts were 618 for eight and Iain O'Brien then picked up his one and only run before New Zealand declared after Patel was out for one when Sharma caught well at midwicket from Harbhajan Singh's delivery.

India made a decent start in their reply with Virender Sehwag in fine fettle as he hit five fours and a six before Vettori made a simple catch at mid-off to dismiss him for 34. Gautam Gambhir followed suit not long after when he lobbed a catch to Vettori from Patel's delivery and Sharma was out for a duck in the penultimate over of the day when he was dismissed lbw from Vettori's delivery.