Cricket: Vettori, Ryder superb amid dismal batting display

New Zealand's Ross Taylor walks from the pitch after being bowled by India's Ishant Sharma in Hamilton today. Photo / Getty Images

Live scoring

Jesse Ryder's maiden test ton and a consummate captain's knock by fellow centurion Daniel Vettori lifted New Zealand from the abyss, though India still hold the ascendancy at stumps on day one of the first cricket test at Seddon Park.

Vettori and Ryder's record stand 186-run stand for the seventh wicket rescued New Zealand from potential humiliation. However, it remains to be seen if their richly deserved milestones enable the home side to regain ground they surrendered meekly during the opening session.

The pair contributed all but 59 runs of New Zealand's first innings of 279 - a total that already appears inadequate on a sound batting surface.

In the seven overs available to the tourists before the close, India erased 29 of the deficit without loss. Virender Sehwag resumes on 22 and Gautam Gambhir six.

India may have expected a longer time at the crease after New Zealand lurched to 60 for six at lunch.

However, Vettori's 118 - his third test ton and second on his home ground - and Ryder's 102 from 162 balls at least provided New Zealand with a measure of respectability.

While Vettori ticked off his first ton since his 117 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2005, Ryder had to endure an agonising wait as tailender Chris Martin somehow defended five Harbhajan Singh deliveries as the field circled after Iain O'Brien was stumped.

Ryder, playing just his seventh test, then calmly slotted the first ball of Ishant Sharma's next over to the midwicket fence to convert his fourth successive test fifty into the coveted triple figures.

The belligerent left hander, who posted his maiden one-day century in Christchurch on March 8, holed out next ball, realising the innings was on borrowed time with Martin as an ally.

Vettori and Ryder performed an admirable job resuscitating a New Zealand innings headed for total capitulation when Brendon McCullum was among six batsmen caught prodding.

Far from adding to the procession of limp dismissals, Vettori and Ryder batted intelligently to reveal the wicket's true colours.

They posted their 100-run stand off 183 balls and when reaching 164 they eclipsed the previous seventh wicket record against India - Bert Sutcliffe and Bruce Taylor's 163 at Kolkata in 1964-65.

Vettori had his moments. His 19th test fifty came via a french cut to the fence and he was dropped at slip on 77 by Rahul Dravid - who remains locked on a record 181 test catches with Australian Mark Waugh.

Ryder was content to let his skipper play the aggressor, his half century took a sedate 102 balls compared to Vettori's 85 as he combined resolute defence with crisp cover drives.

Their 286-ball stand was eventually broken when Vettori, who faced 164 deliveries, was gloved by Dhoni down the leg side as he sought a 15th boundary.

Ironically, Vettori thrived on a pitch he would have preferred not to have batted on.

Reckoning a wicket with pace and bounce would have given his seam attack a useful advantage, he instead confronted batting surface tailormade for India's array of century-laden strokemakers.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni gambled when sending New Zealand in and was vindicated beyond his wildest dreams when Sharma, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel removed all but the cream of New Zealand's batting inside 24 overs.

Until Vettori joined Ryder, the scorecard bore an uncanny resemblance to the last test played between these sides at Hamilton in December 2002. Batting first India cobbled together 99; New Zealand replied with 94 as an abbreviated contest raced to an early conclusion on a green seamer.

Only James Franklin could consider himself unlucky when he was adjudged caught behind off the back pad for a second ball duck.

Martin Guptill's test debut lasted 20 deliveries before he edged to Dravid's juggling hands at second slip for 14; Khan struck again in his next over when Daniel Flynn was caught down the legside for a three-ball duck.

Tim McIntosh never looked comfortable during his 52 ball stay for a dozen and when Ross Taylor had his offstump uprooted when on 18 by Sharma - and Franklin trudged off in the same over New Zealand were in the mire at 51 for five.

Sharma, who had an unhappy outing the last time he faced Ryder at Eden Park, had the satisfaction of removing his tormentor to close with four for 73 from 19.2 overs.

- NZPA