Ishant helps India claw back

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor combined to ensure New Zealand held a first innings lead in the first Test against India in Wellington yesterday but the advantage was not overwhelming.

India stayed in the hunt with three wickets in the final session including Williamson for 89 and Taylor for 44 and the wicket was showing early signs of taking spin.

"You always want your best players to be at the crease. They (Williamson and Taylor) put on a great partnership, both looking nice for a long period of time, but if we can carry on and keep chipping away with the guys to come ... then it will set us up," New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee said.

"If we can build those partnerships and eke out as big a lead as we possibly can that makes that second innings a little bit easier, " he added.

Williamson and Taylor's 93-run stand for the third wicket was enough to lift New Zealand from 73-2 to be ahead of India's 165 before the tourists fight back.

When bad light brought an early end to the day, New Zealand were 216 for five, to lead by 51.

Ishant Sharma, coming back from injury and struggling th jetlag after arriving in New Zealand four days ago, was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three for 31 off 15 overs.

SCORES IN BRIEF

INDIA:  First   innings   165   all   out (Rahane 46; Southee   4-49, Jamieson 4-39)

NEW   ZEALAND:   First   innings   216   for   5 (Williamson   89, Taylor 44; Ishant 3-31)