Hamilton, March 19: Three half-centuries from the top order put India in a good position in the first Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park on Thursday. With just a run behind the Kiwi score of 279, and six wickets in hand, the visitors had their noses in front. Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar were the men who powered India with massive contributions on a wicket where shot-making was not easy.

The home bowlers, barring spearhead Kyle Mills, did well to extract movement off the pitch and occasionally troubled the batsmen. However, they could not roll them over.

Having lost Virender Sehwag (24) to a run out, result of a direct hit by James Franklin, Gambhir played gingerly at the beginning. But once he got his eye in, the 27-year-old batted with authority. The Delhi batsman made the fast bowlers look like spinners as he walked out to play them around. The Indian opener was strong off his legs and one such shot off Franklin fetched him his 10th Test half-century.

Dravid was concentration personified as he left a lot of balls alone to size up the pace and bounce of the pitch before he cut and drove with élan. He was involved in an interesting, albeit silent, war with Mills. The Kiwi quick tried to intimidate the Indian as he collected the ball on his follow through and hurled it at the striker’s end in an attempt to throw down the stumps, forcing Dravid into evasive action.

Dravid’s reply was a whipped boundary off the legs a ball later which also brought up the century partnership for the second wicket with Gambhir that provided the impetus to the innings.

There was no respite for Mills, who was wounded badly, courtesy Dravid’s cuts. One such slash brought up The Wall’s 54th Test fifty. He fell to a beauty from Iain O’Brien though, a ball that jagged back to knock out his off-stump.

Tendulkar too started in similar fashion, and was scratchy in the beginning. He collected his initial runs in edges and French cuts, and was let off while on 13 when Daniel Flynn, running backwards at mid-wicket, could only get his fingers to a top-edged loop off the other Daniel, Vettori. India were 182/3 then.

Sachin changed his bat while on 33 but still wouldn’t find the sweet spot regularly. Gradually, he got into the groove and showed glimpses of his trade. Left-arm pacer Franklin got one to cut back which took an inside edge off Tendulkar’s bat. The Kiwi smiled at him even as the legend turned away. He was quick with the answer though, thumping the bowler through covers for a boundary and then craftily steering him between slip and gully.