The tourists subsided from 126-2 to 196-5 at the close of the second day, after Javagal Srinath's five-wicket haul had restricted New Zealand to 366 in their first innings,.

India's hopes for day three now rest with Rahul Dravid, who added 109 for the third wicket with Tendulkar, and was still at the crease at stumps on 93.

Chris Cairns celebrates Navjot Sidhu's wicket

Tendulkar, who followed up his innings of 47 and 113 in the second test with a breezy 67 off just 93 balls, was adjudged lbw by umpire Doug Cowie.

But television replays clearly showed the full length delivery from medium paceman Dion Nash was drifting down leg side.

After India had lost openers Navjot Sidhu (1) and Ajay Jadeja (12) in the space of seven balls, the third wicket pair hit 20 boundaries between them before Nash checked India's progress.

Saurav Ganguly and skipper Mohammed Azharuddin then fell to injudicious shots outside off stump.

India first Innings:
N Sidhu c Parore b Cairns 1
A Jadeja c Nash b Doull 12
R Dravid not out 93
S Tendulkar lbw b Nash 67
S Ganguly c Fleming b Doull 11
M Azharuddin c Fleming b Cairns 4
N Mongia not out 0
Extras 8
Total (for 5 wickets, 56 overs) 196

Fall of wickets: 17, 17, 126, 164, 195

To bat: A Kumble, J Srinath, V Prasad, R Singh Jr

Bowling: S Doull 15-6-29-2, C Cairns 10-3-54-2, D Nash 16-6-35-1, D Vettori 13-2-63-0, C McMillan 2-0-13-0

New Zealand first Innings:
M Bell c Mongia b Srinath 0
M Horne b Srinath 63
S Fleming c Dravid b Srinath 0
R Twose c Mongia b Prasad 87
C McMillan c Prasad b Kumble 92
A Parore c sub (V.V.K.Laxman) b Prasad 21
P Wiseman c Ganguly b Singh 13
C Cairns b Singh 2
D Nash not out 18
D Vettori b Srinath 24
S Doull c Kumble b Srinath 6
Extras 40
Total (121.2 overs) 366

Fall of wickets: 0, 0, 95, 255, 278, 311, 314, 315, 356, 366

Bowling: J Srinath 32.2-10-95-5, V Prasad 33-10-61-2, A Kumble 27-07-64-1, R Singh Jr 21-5-74-2, S Ganguly 5-3-25-0, S Tendulkar 3-0-23-0