MS Dhoni won the toss for the sixth consecutive time in the series.
Ishant Sharma completed his 150 wickets in Test cricket with the dismissal of Hamish Rutherford. He became 12th Indian to accomplish this feat. Ishant is also the fourth Indian pacer to do so after Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath.
By taking 54 Tests, Ishant became the fourth slowest to reach 150-wicket mark in Test cricket after Ravi Shastri (78 Tests), Jacques Kallis (69) and Gary Sobers (63).
Kane Williamson (113) made his fifth Test century – his second against India.
Williamson’s century is the first by a number 3 batsman for New Zealand in last about 9 years at home since Hamish Marshall, who scored 160 against Sri Lanka at Napier in April 2005.
Williamson became second New Zealand batsman after Jesse Ryder to score a century in his very first innings against India – both at home and in India. He had also made 131 at Ahmedabad in 2010-11 on his Test debut.
Williamson’s wicket gave Zaheer Khan his 200th wicket in away Tests. He became only the third Indian to do so after Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev. Zaheer also became the second left-arm pacer to aggregate 200 wickets away from home after Pakistan’s Wasim Akram.
Brendon McCullum (143*) made his eighth hundred in Tests - his third against India.
This is now McCullum’s highest score as New Zealand captain, beating the 113 he scored against West Indies in Dunedin in December last year.
McCullum became first New Zealand batsman to reach his century with a six on two occasions. He had performed the similar feat against Bangladesh (off the bowling of Shafiul Islam) at Hamilton in 2009-10.
McCullum also provided the second instance of a New Zealand batsman reaching his hundred with a six against India. John Wright (off Dilip Doshi) also at Auckland in 1980-81 is the only other batsman to do so.
The 221-run partnership between Williamson and McCullum is New Zealand's fourth highest for any wicket against India in Tests. The 271-run partnership between Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor also for the fourth wicket at Napier in 2008-09 remain the highest.
