Final Session on Day 1
Hosts India finished the first day's play at 329 for 3 in 90 overs having won the toss and electing to bat first. The last session saw India lose the wickets of the two centurions - Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. The run rate gradually came down as Tendulkar (13* from 47 balls with 2 fours) showed more intent in surviving for a fresher day's play in the company of VVS Laxman (7* from 29 balls with a four). India collected a steady 86 runs in the 28 overs bowled in the final session.
It was Daniel Vettori providing a huge relief to the Kiwis when a lazy and also tired Virender Sehwag stayed back in the crease to nudge the ball past slip but only to get bowled off the pad. Sehwag missed out on a double century to get out for 173 which came in 199 balls with 24 fours and a six. Sehwag's partnership for the second wicket with Dravid was worth 237 runs. Dravid notched up his 30th Test hundred and a while after that dragged a forcing cut shot off Chris Martin onto his stumps. Dravid made 104 from 227 balls with 14 fours before falling to the second new ball.
Tea on Day 1
Virender Sehwag eased his way to an unbeaten 152 from just 172 balls which helped India pile up 243 for 1 by Tea on the opening day's play at Ahmedabad. The Kiwis did only one thing well all day and that was keeping up a superb over rate to leave just the 28 overs to be bowled in the final session. There were a couple of half chances coming their way from Virender Sehwag which weren't converted into catches. Sehwag has struck 22 fours and a six and giving him company has been Rahul Dravid who has moved onto 61 from 162 balls with 9 fours.
The Indians collected 116 runs in the 32 overs after lunch while the second wicket partnership between Sehwag and Dravid has so far added up 180 runs in 50 overs.
Lunch on Day 1
India are having a cakewalk against the wafer thin bowling attack of the Kiwis as they finished the morning session on 127 for 1 in 30 overs. Virender Sehwag has kept his concentration intact to collect an unbeaten 87 from 84 balls with 15 fours. As a result India are going along at a healthy run rate of 4.23 while the Kiwi bowlers have not shown any sharpness in their bowling attack. The ball has hardly beaten the bat as far as the visitors are concerned.
The only wicket to go down for India was that of Gautam Gambhir, five minutes or so before the drinks break when in an attempted cover drive on the up was bowled through the gate by a Jesse Ryder inswinger. Gambhir scored 21 from 41 balls with 3 fours in an opening stand of 60 in 12 overs. Rahul Dravid, the next man to join Sehwag wasn't getting his shots through the gaps and finished the session with a slow unbeaten 12 from 57 balls with 2 fours.
Toss and Teams
India won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first in the opening Test at Ahmedabad against New Zealand. Conditions at the Motera are bright and sunny with the batsmen expected to get more favours from the pitch than their counterparts. About 45 minutes could see the new ball darting around for the Kiwis.
The hosts have retained their experienced guns in Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman who are coming back after injuries. They replace Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara while Sreesanth has been successful in keeping out Ishant Sharma in the playing XI. The Kiwis have gone in with two quicks and two spinners.
India : V Sehwag, G Gambhir, R Dravid, SR Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (C&WK), Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, S Sreesanth, PP Ojha
New Zealand : BB McCullum, TG McIntosh, BJ Watling, LRPL Taylor, JD Ryder, KS Williamson, DL Vettori (C), GJ Hopkins (WK), JS Patel, HK Bennett, CS Martin
