Hyderabad, Nov 13: If day one of the Hyderabad Test was about dogged resistance by the New Zealand batsmen, then day two of this match was all about Indian primacy in the Test arena. The Indian bowlers and opening batsmen put on their best performance of the series so far to lead India to a dominant position in this Test.

New Zealand resumed the second day’s play with Jesse Ryder and Gareth Hopkins batting overnight. Zaheer Khan, bowling from round the wicket, first had Hopkins (4) trapped LBW in the third over of the day and was to repeat that effort when he had Kane Williamson (4) dismissed a couple of overs later. At 287 for 6, New Zealand appeared to have surrendered the slight advantage they had with their overnight score of 2588 for 4.

Harbhajan Singh, who had gone wicket less in this innings so far, then got into the act and removed the last four Kiwi wickets. Daniel Vettori (11) was trapped LBW, Jesse Ryder (70) caught at first slip by VVS Laxman, Tim Southee was stumped (10) and Chris Martin (3) was caught at leg slip by Virender Sehwag. New Zealand finished their first innings with the score at 350. For India, both Zaheer and Harbhajan finished with four wickets apiece.

The Indian innings started a little after lunch with Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir batting at a brisk pace from the beginning. When play stopped for tea, 62 runs had been scored off 18 overs at just under 3.5 runs per over. Sehwag was the first to reach his half-century and India corssed the 100-run mark in the 30th over of their innings. Gambhir, who is battling a woeful run of form in 2010, brought up his twelfth half century in Tests shortly thereafter, but not before the Sehwag- Gambhir partnership had put on a 150-run stand for the opening wicket.

With the score at 160, Sehwag was clean bowled by Vettori, four shot of his century, while attempting to play a slog sweep. Gambhir fell in the very next over as a Tim Southee delivery caught the faint edge of his bat to hand wicketkeeper Hopkins a catch down on the leg side. It was left to Rahul Dravid (7*) and Sachin Tendulkar (11*) to bat out the remaining overs as India finished the day with a score of 178 for 2, 172 runs behind the Kiwi first innings total.

Brief Score – New Zealand 1st innings 350 (Tim McIntosh 102, Jesse Ryder 70, Zaheer Khan 4-69, Harbhajan Singh 4- 76); India 1st innings 178 for 2 (Virender Sehwag 96, Gautam Gambhir 54, Daniel Vettori 1-45)