Pujaras stability India established strong path..

Cheteshwar Pujara has shown he is willing and able to take RahulDravid's position in India's Test batting line-up

Under overcast skies, India resolutely pushed ahead in a tight first session on day two against New Zealand in Hyderabad. At lunch they got to 371 for 5, with Cheteshwar Pujara batting on 159 and MS Dhoni on 73.The India batsmen were careful, Dhoni trying occasionally to keep the scoreboard awhirl but mostly operating in a much lower gear. Pujara eroded New Zealand's hopes, a single at a time. Involved in an unbeaten 111-run sixth-wicket partnership, the pair put on 64 runs on the second morning off 21 overs.

Conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad appeared to be more suitable for bowling, particularly of New Zealand's variety. A heavy cloud cover loomed over Uppal, the ball was new-ish, and New Zealand had all their frontline quicks available.

Martin probed away at Dhoni, offering him enough by way of temptation. Dhoni swished at one, his on-the-up drive an illusion rather than a reality. An over late, Martin cut Dhoni into half, the ball clipping his pad on its way to the keeper van Wyk. Several overs later, a bouncer arrived but Dhoni withdrew his pullshot in time.

After just over half an hour, Doug Bracewell came on to bowl after having to leave the field due to cramps on Thursday, and immediately he extracted the first chance that New Zealand were to get today. The ball swung away from Dhoni, the nick flew off an attempted drive and past an acrobatic van Wyk and Ross Taylor at first slip.Pujara continued on from Thursday, and the only chance New Zealand would have of dislodging him, came when he was slow to respond to Dhoni's call for a single. Brendon McCullum at short cover fumbled while picking up the ball, and Pujara, on 133, scampered through, as the throw got to the keeper.

The first intended boundaries of the morning came after the first 15 overs; the moment the bowlers flagged the batsmen pounced. Pujara late cut Boult and two balls later flicked him to the fence. Dhoni then capitalised on a leg-stump half volley from Bracewell, to inch closer to 50. He crossed it with a sprinted three in the same over, with lunch 15 minutes away. In the last five overs before lunch, Pujara and Dhoni scored 23 runs.

The start of the match was delayed by 25 minutes, as the ground staff was asked to pull on the covers in anticipation of a rain shower that never arrived.