India were trailing by 373 runs at stumps on Day 2 of the first Test in Auckland. After Brendon McCullum’s double century led the hosts to a mammoth 503, Trent Boult struck a double blow in the first over while time Tim Southee claimed one to leave India on 10 for three. Rohit Sharma (67*) then led India’s revival and was ably supported by Ajinkya Rahane (23*) in the endeavour. The pair had taken the visitors to 130 for four when play was called off due to bad light. India’s innings got off to a disastrous start, thanks to Boult. A low catch by Kane Williamson at gully after Shikhar Dhawan had edged the ball sent the opener back for a duck. Three balls later, Cheteshwar Pujara departed for one. Four overs later, Tim Southee bounced Virat Kohli and the No 3 batsman was caught in the slips fending at the delivery. Rohit Sharma joined Murali Vijay in rebuilding the innings and stemming the fall of wickets. They bided their time at the crease as the Kiwis hit the deck hard. McCullum introduced Ish Sodhi into the attack in the 17th over and the spinner extracted turn and bounce from the wicket to keep the batsmen on their toes. Scoring 22 and 16 respectively, Vijay and Rohit took India to 45 for three at tea. Vijay’s resistance was ended in the second over into the final session of the day. Neil Wagner coming round the wicket clipped the opener’s bails. With India struggling on 51 for four, Rahane joined Rohit in the middle. Rohit struck Wagner for three boundaries in an over. He started timing the strokes well and got to his fifty. The New Zealand bowlers peppered the batsmen with a mix of deliveries to keep the flow of runs in check. The batsmen continued to pave their way through the maze of bouncers and fuller deliveries as they stitched a partnership. Diminishing visibility towards the fag end of the day brought the spinners into play. Rohit stepped down the track and sent Williamson sailing over midwicket for a six with ease while Rahane hit Sodhi for four through cover. However, play was then suspended due to bad light and couldn’t be resumed. Earlier, while there were a few lapses in the field there were glimpses of brilliance of what India is capable of in the field. Ravindra Jadeja’s catch to end McCullum’s marathon innings for 224 and with it bringing curtains down on NZ’s first innings for 503 was one such effort. Jadeja took the catch near the long on boundary and unable to balance himself threw the ball high in the air jumped across, and back in to take it. While McCullum played a captain’s knock to put the Kiwis in a commanding position, Ishant Sharma claimed six wickets. This was Ishant’s first five-wicket haul since he achieved the feat in 2011 against West Indies. Earlier in the morning Anderson had brought up his fifty by pushing Ishant through the slip cordon and gone on to make 77. Continuing from where they had left on the previous evening, the captain and Anderson had milked the Indian attack in the morning to add 55 runs to the total before the latter was out lbw. While McCullum took the sword to the Indian attack, BJ Watling edged the paceman to the slips 14 runs later. After surviving a chance in the slips Southee smashed Ishant for a couple of sixes before Mohammad Shami toppled his bails to leave the hosts on 434 for seven. Sodhi then joined McCullum in piling on runs and the pair had taken the Black Caps to 473 for seven at lunch. In the last over of the morning session, McCullum stepped out and hit Jadeja over the ropes and followed up with a boundary couple of balls later to bring up his double hundred off the last ball before lunch. McCullum’s rule at the crease continued as he struck Jadeja for a straight six. But with partnership on 56, Sodhi nudged at an Ishant delivery and was caught by Rohit in the slips. In the next over Virat Kohli snapped the catch at leg-slip to sent back Wagner off Jadeja. McCullum’s luck in the middle continued as he pulled Ishant and the ball flew well over Rahane’s head even as the fielder attempted to pluck a catch inside the ropes and was followed by a missed run-out chance. He survived another missed attempt as Dhoni and Vijay running in from third man both let McCullum off after he had top-edged Ishant. But two balls later, the NZ captain’s innings came to end for a run less than his best Test figures.