Fleming's men will be hoping to level the three-Test series

Skipper Stephen Fleming arrested his form slump with a dogged 65 but New Zealand faltered on the first evening of the third Test against Australia.

The hosts, who won the toss, closed on 199-5 in Auckland after losing three late wickets for 15 runs.

Hamish Marshall top-scored with 76 and put on 126 for the third wicket with Fleming, whose previous five Test knocks had gathered just 39 runs.

Glenn McGrath finished the day with 1-20 off 24 overs, with 17 maidens.

It was a bit of a battle and it wasn't pretty at times Hamish Marshall Quotes: Day one reaction

New Zealand made an unsure start in their bid to draw the series, slipping to 53-2 before Marshall and Fleming gave the innings some backbone.

Craig Cumming was trapped lbw by Jason Gillespie for five before fellow opener and debutant James Marshall was caught by Matthew Hayden off McGrath for 29, ending a 38-run stand between the identical twins.

Fleming, returning to his customary number four position, was given a sardonic cheer from the crowd when he survived his first ball from McGrath, who had claimed him in his last three innings.

Kasprowicz (left) again kept Brett Lee out of the Australia side

Immediately after lunch, with McGrath kept out of the attack, Fleming took to Warne and hit him for three fours and a six.

McGrath continued to cause headaches for Fleming after tea and his second six-over spell included five maidens, as Fleming took 50 minutes and 33 balls to move from 32 to 33.

Hamish Marshall's 208-ball innings, which included nine fours, eventually came to an end when he popped a bat-pad catch straight into the hands of Ricky Ponting to give Shane Warne his sole scalp.

Fleming eventually fell to Michael Kasprowicz when chopping the ball onto his stumps just four runs after Hamish Marshall's dismissal.

Lou Vincent was then bowled by Gillespie for two to cap a strong finish for Australia, leaving Nathan Astle on seven and Brendon McCullum on one at stumps.

New Zealand: C D Cumming, J A H Marshall, H J H Marshall S P Fleming (Capt), L Vincent, N J Astle, B B McCullum (Wkt) D L Vettori, J E C Franklin, C S Martin, P J Wiseman.

Australia: J L Langer, M L Hayden, R T Ponting (Capt), D R Martyn M J Clarke, S M Katich, A C Gilchrist (Wkt), S K Warne J N Gillespie, M S Kasprowicz, G D McGrath.