First Test, Ahmedabad (day one, close): India 329-3 v New Zealand

Sehwag in full flow during his absorbing century

Virender Sehwag struck a magnificent 173 from 199 balls as India amassed 329-3 on day one of the first Test with New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

The 32-year-old opener reached his 22nd Test century in 111 balls and his innings included 24 fours and a six.

Dropped on 144 and 155, he put on 237 with Rahul Dravid, whose share was 92.

Dravid went on to make his 30th Test ton in more watchful fashion with 104 from 227 balls, while crowd favourite Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on 13.

It was another remarkable performance from Sehwag, who surprisingly had a modest previous record at Ahmedabad with only one fifty in his nine Test innings at the venue.

After Mahendra Dhoni quickly decided to bat first, Sehwag smashed three fours in the third over.

The only wicket to fall in the opening two sessions was that of Gautam Gambhir who got an inside edge back on to his stumps off the medium pacer's of Jesse Ryder, in his first Test over with the ball in India.

Despite the slow pitch Sehwag looked set to become only the fifth man to score a century before lunch on the opening day of a Test match, but at the interval was on 87 out of his team's 127-1.

In the afternoon session he stepped down the wicket to launch 20-year-old debutant off-spinner Kane Williamson into the second tier over wide long-on, while Dravid was reprieved on 28 when wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins failed to hold a bottom edge up to the stumps off Ryder.

606: DEBATE I don't think any opener has ever dominated like him MB

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, in his 100th Test, had a confident appeal for lbw against Sehwag rejected after he missed a reverse sweep on 144, while Jeetan Patel first had to protect his face with a fearsomely struck straight drive arrowed in at him.

By tea Sehwag had moved on to 150, the 14th time in his 82 Tests that he had reached the milestone, while Dravid was on 61.

Sehwag was dropped again when substitute Martin Guptill came in from the deep to get under a slog sweep but could not cling on to it.

Dravid was driving and cutting with authority but on 90 was dropped again by Hopkins when a thin edge bounced out of the wicketkeeper's gloves.

Sehwag departed in the 75th over when the ball ricocheted off his bat when he swept down the legside on to the middle stump.

A cut for two took Dravid past Sir Donald Bradman in the list of Test century makers and level in sixth place with Matthew Hayden.

He was out five overs later when another bottom edge cannoned back on to the stumps, but Tendulkar hit a sumptuous straight drive to the boundary as India finished the day in a commanding position.

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