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Sehwag, Dravid tons take India to 329/3

Batting at the close were Sachin Tendulkar with 13 and VVS Laxman with 7.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid struck contrasting hundreds to put the hosts in a strong position after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss for the first time in nine Tests and opted to bat.

Sehwag hit 173 from 199 balls before falling to a tired-looking shot off New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori after adding 237 runs for the second wicket with Dravid. The Bangalore batsman, who struggled at the start of the innings, become more fluent as the day progressed and struck 104 from 227 balls – his 30^th Test hundred – before falling to Chris Martin shortly before the close. Sehwag, who hit his 22^nd Test hundred in his 82^nd match, added 60 for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir (21). In doing so, the Delhi team-mates surpassed Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan to become India’s highest run getting openers.

The hosts selected Shanthakumaran Sreesanth as the second paceman ahead of Ishant Sharma, while batsman Kane Williamson and fast bowler Hamish Bennett have been handed their New Zealand debuts. As a result, Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay, the heroes of last month’s 2^nd Test against Australia at Bangalore, had to sit out.

Daniel Vettori is playing his 100^th Test for New Zealand but Sachin Tendulkar alone has made more runs than the entire New Zealand line-up.

The second Test is in Hyderabad from November 12-16 while the third and final Test will be played in Nagpur from November 20-24.