Nagpur, Nov 21: India finally moved into a position where they look to be in firm control of winning a Test match against New Zealand. After having dismissed New Zealand for a paltry 193 runs, the Indian top order batsmen gave India a 99-run lead by posting a first innings score of 292/2.

Earlier, New Zealand depending largely on Brendon McCullum, hoped to do much better than their overnight score of 148 for 7. But some spirited bowling from Ishant Sharma prevented the Kiwis from getting away. McCullum (40) was caught behind by MS Dhoni off the lanky pacemen’s bowling and Andy McKay (5) found his stumps shattered too by the Delhi fast bowler.

Tim Southee then played a handy cameo of 38 runs, the Kiwi tailender even hitting Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha for a couple of big sixes, before he was caught by Virender Sehwag at long-on off Ojha’s bowling.

With the Kiwi first innings score standing at 193, the Indian openers wasted no time in furthering their side’s dominant position by bringing up the first 50 runs in as many deliveries. Virender Sehwag, already having posted a century in this series, also brought up his 26th half-century in Test cricket and India went into lunch at 89 for the loss of no wicket.

Sehwag raced away to a score of 74 after lunch but was caught and bowled by Daniel Vettori with the score at 113. Gautam Gambhir, India’s recently appointed captain for the first two ODIs against the Kiwis, meanwhile kept the innings’ momentum going and added another 79 runs for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid. Gambhir was eventually dismissed for 78, but at the fall of his wicket India were only one run short of New Zealand’s first innings score.

It was then the turn of the two veterans Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to grind the Kiwi bowling attack into submission and the two stalwarts did just that, while also playing some beautiful cricket shots. Dravid was quick to cut anything that was short, and Sachin’s timing, as always, was impeccable. Both batsmen reached their respective half-centuries and when play came to a close, the duo, having posted a 100-run partnership for the third wicket, had also given India a robust lead of 99 runs. With Sachin remaining unbeaten on 57, the big question now is will Tendulkar get to his 50th Test century when play resumes on Day 3?

Brief Scores – New Zealand 1st innings 193 (Jesse Ryder 59, Tim Southee 38, Ishant Sharma 4-43, Pragyan Ojha 3-57); India 1st innings 292/2 (Gautam Gambhir 78, Virender Sehwag 74, Rahul Dravid 69*, Sachin Tendulkar 57*)