India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Hyderabad, 4th day

NZ defiant in delayed session

Lunch New Zealand 159 & 92 for 1 (Williamson 31*, McCullum 39*) trail India 438 by 187 runs

	Kane Williamson wasn't afraid to drive against the spin © AFP

New Zealand enjoyed their best batting performance of the first Test, with Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson putting up a further 51 on a slow-scoring session before lunch on day four. In their second innings, following on, New Zealand were 92 for 1, still 187 behind the Indian total. McCullum and Williamson have formed the first fifty-plus partnership for the New Zealanders in the Test, adding 66. At lunch, McCullum was batting on 39 and Williamson on 31.

Persistent rain through the morning meant that play commenced only at 11am, a two hour delay from an already re-scheduled 9am start. The moment it stopped raining though, as promised, the ground staff got the pitch and the outfield ready. The umpires hope to get 75 overs into Sunday's play.

The Indian spinners were held off for more than 45 minutes of play, McCullum playing the assured hand, Williamson taking the risks of trying to drive against the spin. R Ashwin tried to lure him into a false stroke and Ojha came around over the wicket against Williamson. The waiting game worked for New Zealand, Williamson driving Ashwin down the ground for a boundary the moment he overpitched. McCullum pulled out his patent pull shot when Ojha bowled one short and on leg stump.

The Indians gave the first sign of having to resort to their plan B when Zaheer Khan came on in the 16th over of the day, replacing Ashwin. The ball wasn't swinging as much as was expected under an overcast sky, and even though they were up against an expert practitioner, the New Zealanders were more than happy to handle Zaheer's swing bowling at one end.

The only shout for India came early on in the session, in Ashwin's first over. Williamson was caught on his crease as Ashwin struck him low on his pad. As the ball struck him outside the line of the off stump, Williamson was given a reprieve, but was tested for the first quarter of the hour. He pulled a short one from Ashwin and struck Cheteshwar Pujara on the side of his right knee at forward short leg. Pujara had surgery around a torn ligament on the same knee last year and had to be taken off the field. Fortunately, the injury wasn't serious.