Yesterday at the Basin Reserve Nash and Daniel Vettori propped up a sagging New Zealand batting innings. Nash's fighting 56 not out equalled his previous highest test score, made in 1994 at Lords.

That innings, along with an 11-wicket haul for the match, secured him a contract with English county Middlesex. He seemed set for a lengthy career but the promise since then has been largely unfulfilled because of a troublesome back injury which sidelined him in April 1996.

Nash and Vettori showed the Indian bowling attack could be handled as they scrapped for every run after New Zealand had fallen to 208 for seven. By the close of play the pair had taken the score to 290 for seven.

So hard-fought was Nash's half century that it included only one boundary shot - an edge behind.

The pair defied India's efforts with the second new ball while also keeping dangerous spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh at bay.

Coach Steve Rixon praised the contribution of the pair which will enable New Zealand to establish a significant, and possibly substantial, first-innings advantage.

``It was a fine effort by a couple of fighters on top of their games.

``Thanks to them we will have a lead of probably between 100 and 150 which will be very useful. The wicket is already taking slow turn and will take more.''

Rixon said Nash was using a ``new toy'', playing through the on-side more successfully. ``He has opened his stance up a bit and we've been working on getting better balance and body position.''

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad was satisfied with his team's comeback effort yesterday, considering it was dismissed cheaply on the opening day. He was pleasantly surprised by the amount of spin yesterday he had expected the wicket not to offer such assistance until late on the third day.

After the opening day's bumper crowd approached 9000 about 4000 were at the Basin Reserve yesterday, and New Zealand Cricket is keen to repeat the Boxing Day test in future.