Tendulkar stars as India take control against New Zealand

New Zealand 279 & 75-3 India 5

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 yesterday. The 35-year-old scored his 42nd Test century on the way to 160 as India made 520 in their first innings. His 260-ball knock included 26 boundaries and lasted over six hours before edging to Ross Taylor in the slips off of Iain O'Brien's bowling.

After the dismissal of Tendulkar 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. Zaheer enjoyed two let-offs on his way to a half-century that included eight boundaries.

Things got even better for the tourists when, at the start of New Zealand's second innings, Tim McIntosh was adjudged to have been caught by Tendulkar for a duck – replays suggested the ball may have bounced before being caught.

Martin Guptill and Daniel Flynn set about building the hosts' innings and the former was in fine form but he fell just two runs short of his maiden Test half-century when he scooped Harbhajan's delivery and Virender Sehwag took an easy catch.