Vettori and Ryder spare Kiwi blushes

Jesse Ryder drives through the covers on his way to a maiden century in Tests

Centuries from captain Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder inspired a New Zealand fightback on the opening day of the Test series, but they could not prevent India taking charge of the first Test.

A horror start saw the hosts reeling on 60 for six shortly before lunch after India won the toss and opted to bowl first at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

But Vettori and Ryder steadied the ship with a magnificent 186-run partnership for the seventh wicket before the former was caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Munaf Patel for 118.

Ryder faced some nervous moments in the nineties before recording a maiden Test century.

On 98, the left-hander was forced to watch as Chris Martin, regarded by many as the worst batsmen in Test cricket with an average of 2.17, survived five balls from Harbhajan Singh.

Ryder managed to regain the strike, and immediately smashed his 14th boundary of the innings to reach three figures off 161 balls. However, he skied the next delivery, bowled by Ishant Sharma, to VVS Laxman to bring New Zealand’s innings to a close on 279.

Sharma did the bulk of the damage for India with 4-73, while Patel returned figures of 3-60.

India openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag survived seven overs to reached 29 without loss by the close, trailing by 250 going into day two.

Sehwag hit five boundaries, including three in a Kyle Mills over, in his unbeaten 22 not out, while Gautam Gambhir was six not out.

Daniel Vettori leads the New Zealand fightback with a superb 118. He shared a stand of 186 with Ryder

A total of 279 looked distinctly unlikely after New Zealand made a dreadful start to the day.

Having got through the first hour, the batting line-up fell apart in the face of some solid bowling by the India seamers, Sharma, Patel and Zaheer Khan.

Test debutant Martin Guptill was the first to go when he edged Khan to Rahul Dravid for 14, and Daniel Flynn lasted just three balls. He fell to the same bowler, caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Ross Taylor, dropped by Sehwag at gully before he had scored, was one of three victims in quick succession for Sharma, who also accounted for Tim McIntosh and James Franklin, and Brendon McCullum was taken by VVS Laxman off Patel to leave New Zealand reeling.

Vettori’s innings was a crucial one for his side but was not without its scares as he was almost run out off the penultimate ball before tea and then dropped by Dravid on 77.

He eventually brought up third Test century with a single off an unconvincing sweep, having faced 139 balls and struck 13 fours and two sixes.

His dismissal sparked the beginning of the end of the New Zealand innings, with Kyle Mills yorked next ball by Patel.

Iain O’Brien was stumped for eight as he came down the pitch to Harbhajan Singh, before Martin survived for long enough to allow Ryder to reach three figures.