Ross Taylor cracked a brisk century to help New Zealand reach 240-5 at tea on the opening day of the second and final Test against India in Bangalore on Friday.
The skipper hit two sixes and 16 fours in a 119-ball 112 not out for his seventh Test hundred as New Zealand added 132 runs to their lunch total of 108-3. Kruger van Wyk was unbeaten on seven at the break.
New Zealand were under pressure at 89-3 following left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s double-strike in the morning, but Taylor propped up the innings with a 107-run stand for the fourth wicket with Daniel Flynn (33).
Taylor counter-attacked to neutralise the efficacy of the Indian spinners, slog-sweeping Ravichandran Ashwin over square-leg for the first six of the match and then smashing four boundaries in an over from Ojha.
The New Zealand captain, who reached his half-century off just 46 balls, did not even spare left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan as he drove the bowler through the covers and then straight for two successive fours.
Taylor completed his hundred in style, cutting Ojha for a four and then lofting the spinner over long-off in the same over for his second six. His century came off just 99 balls.
New Zealand lost two wickets in the afternoon as Flynn fell lbw while attempting to sweep off-spinner Ashwin and James Franklin (eight) was superbly caught by Suresh Raina at mid-wicket off Ojha.