New Zealand trail India by 238 runs following on

Having asked to follow on, New Zealand were restricted to 41 for 1 in their second innings by India before the bad light and rain stopped play on day three of the first Test in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Martin Guptill (16) was the only man to get out when he adjudged lbw to a Pragyan Ojha delivery that skidded after pitching around off stump and the batsman did the mistake of not offering a shot. Brendon McCullum (16) and Kane Williamson (3) were at the crease when umpires took the players off the field and decided to call off the remaining day's play.

Earlier, an inspired spell by offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin helped India wrapping New Zealand's first innings for 159, thus enforcing the follow on after taking a commanding 279-run lead.

Ashwin, who was brought into the attack by skipper MS Dhoni only later in the morning session, took the last three Kiwi wickets - Jeetan Patel (10), Trent Boult (4) and Chris Martin (0) - by giving away just a single run to finish with the overall figures of 6 for 31 after the rain delayed start of the first session of play by an hour.

Dhoni's strategy to start the day's proceedings with team's speedsters Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav brought an instant result, with the latter trapping the overnight not out batsman Kruger van Wyk (0) leg before. The short ball kept low and hit van Wyk's thigh pad and it would have hit the top of off stump if it had continued its path.

Doug Bracewell showed some intent to stay but was done in by a well-flighted delivery from Ojha. He came down the pitch to tonk Ojha over the top, missing the ball altogether and thus giving Dhoni enough time to shatter the stumps.

Ashwin had taken the wicket on the very first delivery he bowled on Friday, and it was his third ball that fetched him a wicket on Saturday. Jeetan Patel couldn't keep his lofted drive down and gave a return catch to Ashwin who dived to his left to take a good catch.

Ashwin's craft was too difficult to understand for Boult and Martin, the No. 10 and 11 for New Zealand, as he folded the visitors' innings at the stroke of lunch.

James Franklin, who looked most confident among all the New Zealand batsmen, remained unbeaten on 43.

Brief Score:

India 1st innings: 438 all out (Cheteshwar Pujara 159); New Zealand: 159 (James Franklin 43*; R Ashwin 6 for 31) & 41 for 1 (f/o) in 18 overs