Tendulkar stars as India take control

Sachin Tendulkar stole the show for India as they took a firm grip on the first test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Friday.

The 35-year-old scored his 42nd test century on the way to an imposing 160 as India wracked up 520 runs in their first innings.

Things got even better for the tourists when their bowlers took three wickets to leave New Zealand 75 for three at stumps, trailing by 166 runs in their second innings. Daniel Flynn finished the session unbeaten on 24.

But the day undoubtedly belonged to Tendulkar. His 260-ball innings included 26 boundaries and lasted over six hours and was largely responsible for the demanding total posted by the Indians. By the time Tendulkar edged to Ross Taylor in the slips in the 14th over after lunch, the Little Master had gone from his lunch score of 135 to 160.

It was a superb delivery from Iain O'Brien that forced the mistake from Tendulkar and he fully deserved the wicket after an excellent spell which saw him take two wickets for 11 runs in four overs. O'Brien struck first in his second over after lunch where he had MS Dhoni in all sorts of trouble.

His first ball was edged just millimetres short of Jesse Ryder in the slips and two balls later the Indian captain feathered one to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum to depart three runs shy of his 15th Test half-century. That left India on 429 for six, having resumed after the interval on 384 for five. Four overs later Tendulkar was on his way with the score on 443 for seven.

Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh took it to the New Zealand bowlers and added a further 20 runs before Harbhajan (16) slashed at one too many and found Daniel Vettori at mid-off, handing Kyle Mills his first wicket of the match. Khan enjoyed two let-offs on his way to a fine half-century that included eight boundaries.

Chris Martin missed one by a mile when the tail-ender was on 22, then Flynn dropped his second of the innings when Khan was on 34. The Indian bowler made the most of it, hitting two successive fours to get himself into the 40s - taking 13 runs off James Franklin in the process - and brought up his third test 50 with a risky single off the same bowler a few overs later that would have resulted in a run-out had the ball not bounced over the wicket. Ishant Sharma lasted just 13 balls before edging one to McCullum off Vettori and the innings was finally wrapped up when Munaf Patel (nine) holed out to Martin at fine leg.

New Zealand suffered a blow at the start of their second innings when Tim McIntosh was adjudged to have been caught by Tendulkar at first slip for a duck, although replays suggested the ball may have initially bounced before being caught.

Debutant opener Martin Guptill and Flynn set about building the hosts' innings and the former was in fine form, a six off Ishant Sharma was particularly impressive. But he fell just two runs short of his maiden test half-century when he scooped Harbhajan's delivery and Virender Sehwag was on hand to make the easy catch. Mills (two) followed suit on the final ball of the day when he was dismissed lbw by Munaf to leave New Zealand's prospects of saving the game slim.