Cricket: Master batsman oozing danger

Chris Martin was the pick of NZ attack. Photo / Getty Images

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India on top, but New Zealand clinging on; that's the state of play with both teams knowing the third day today will be critical to the outcome of the first test.

From early on, it was apparent a day of attrition lay ahead. When bad light stopped play 6.1 overs early, India were 278 for four, one run behind New Zealand and with Sachin Tendulkar well set on 70 and bearing down on his world-record-stretching 42nd century.

"If we get 150 ahead that would be fantastic, an ideal scenario," said senior batsman Rahul Dravid last night.

Chris Martin, recalled after missing the West Indies series, was the pick of the New Zealand attack. He was more specific, believing the first two hours today will be decisive.

"Each morning there's something in the air and with the new ball there's a little bit of swing. We need to claw back a couple of early wickets. Tomorrow is crunch time," he said.

The pitch, even with a bit of juice around from early morning rain, didn't have the bowlers licking their lips, but they plugged away determinedly, refusing to allow the batsmen to cut loose.

Bouncers had that trampoline look as they looped over batsmen's heads and while Martin and Iain O'Brien produced the odd beauty, it was not one of those days filled with "ooh" and "aah" calls from the fielders.

Yet Dravid maintained the batsmen never really felt "in", that it was a day when concentration was paramount.

So India's batsmen put their grafting face on. They got on top by careful, rather than flamboyant means, but New Zealand heads didn't drop as they chipped away through the day.

Had they taken another wicket before stumps, they would have rated it a reasonable return. As it is, they are still in the game. But as Tendulkar upped the ante after the arrival of the second new ball in the final session, the signs are ominous, unless quick inroads are made this morning.

To their credit, the bowlers didn't flag, although James Franklin's left arm, without any substantial swing, didn't really threaten, and Kyle Mills was largely ineffective.

Had Mills not overstepped the line with his first ball of the day, he would have had opener Gautam Gambhir plumb lbw.

But there was an early bonus, when Virendar Sehwag dawdled on a second run to the non-strikers end to be beaten by Franklin's fine pick up, swivel and direct hit from deep point. Gambhir and Dravid were untroubled to lunch, the lefthanded Gambhir a compact, efficient operator while Dravid went about living up to his well-deserved nickname "The Wall".

The middle session was even-stevens, producing 89 runs from 29 overs and two wickets.

Dravid likes Hamilton. He averages 101 in tests on the ground and, striking a high percentage of his runs in boundaries, had "century" written over him.

Gambhir departed edging a good delivery from Martin at 77 and it was a surprise when "The Wall" was found to be one brick short on 66.

O'Brien got a fine delivery to cut back and hit the top of Dravid's off stump, which brought Tendulkar in. He was patient in the extreme, at one point scoring six in 41 balls and by stumps had batted almost three and a half hours. VVS Laxman was similarly restrained.

Both had lives. On 13, Tendulkar miscued a pull at Vettori but Daniel Flynn, running away from the pitch at mid wicket, couldn't hold an awkward but makeable catch. Then O'Brien, running right, couldn't grasp a Laxman hook from a Franklin bouncer on the square leg boundary. That type of chance has to be taken.

The 34-year-old Martin, relishing being back in the fold, ended a personally satisfying day by getting Laxman with the second new ball. Father Time hasn't run him down just yet.