India's Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag hit centuries in an opening stand of 233 against Sri Lanka and New Zealand's Ross Taylor made 94 against Pakistan on a day of big hitting.India took command on the first day of the second Test in Kanpur with Gambhir (167) notching a fourth successive Test hundred after Sehwag, who was dropped on one, made 131, his 16th Test century.
Taylor scored his runs on the first day of the first Test in Dunedin but the honors belonged to the tourists as the Black Caps reached stumps on 276 for six with Mohammad Asif, celebrating his recall, taking three for 76 off 24 overs.
India were 417 for two at the close with Rahul Dravid unbeaten on 85 and Sachin Tendulkar not out 20.
Sehwag flicked Muttiah Muralitharan to fine leg for four to reach his century, hitting 18 fours as well as two sixes off leg- spinner Ajantha Mendis.
Gambhir, fresh from his match-saving 114 in the drawn first Test, drove Rangana Herath for a four to reach his eighth Test hundred after scores of 137 and 167 in the second and third Tests in New Zealand earlier this year. He finally fell, caught and bowled, to Muralitharan.
Only a fielding lapse denied Asif, whose career has been stalled by injury and drug scandals, a fourth wicket. Captain Daniel Vettori escaped a golden duck in one of three dropped catches that proved costly for Pakistan and allowed New Zealand to build two solid partnerships and recover from the first-ball dismissal of Tim McIntosh.
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