New Zealand [Images] A players stole the show on the penultimate day of the four-day match against India A, as they not only stopped their counterparts from taking advantage of a good start but also helped themselves to a 146-run lead, in Chennai, on Sunday.

The visitors dismissed India A for 276 in the first innings, taking a 39-run lead, and then reached 107 for three in their second innings.

At stumps, Greg Hay (15) and James Marshall (8) were at the crease.

Skipper Peter Fulton played a breezy 33-run knock and was well-supported by opener Martin Guptil (41) in their second essay.

The two added 60 runs for the second wicket after Aaron Redmond (5), centurion in the first innings, made a quick exit.

R P Singh had him caught in the fifth over of the innings by Ravindra Jadeja.

Fulton had two reprieves when Pradeep Sangwan and Ashok Dinda dropped him in the deep and struck some powerful shots. He hit two towering sixes off Amit Mishra but fell to the same bowler in the 17th over, playing across the line.

India skipper Suresh Raina scalped Guptil leg before the wicket, but the batsman appeared unhappy over the decision.

Earlier, Resuming at 162 for 3, India never got on top of the New Zealand bowling and were all out for 276 in 119.1 overs just before tea.

Leg-spinner Aaron Redmond ran through the long Indian tail taking four for 30, with the day's spell reading 7.1-2-15-4.

M Vijay, 76 overnight, missed a deserving century as he was dismissed on 98 by off-spinner Nathan MCcullum after adding 139 runs for the fourth wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara (80).

The two added 33 runs today. Once Pujara departed, India started losing wickets at regular intervals and fell well short of the Kiwi total.

Vijay and Pujara relied on picking the singles initially and once he got into in 90s, he cut loose and hit two boundaries of medium pacer Trent Boult. However, he fell in the very next over to McCullum when he was caught by Fulton at short cover.

Pujara was out in the fourth over after lunch when he edged Ian O'Brien. Wicketkeeper Reece Young collected the catch after a fumble.

The New Zealand bowlers did not allow the batsmen any easy runs and got good support from the fielders who took a couple of good catches, as India found the going tough in the post-lunch session.

Ravindra Jadeja never looked comfortable and played a lot of dot balls. He consumed 24 balls to score his first run and ended up facing 125 balls for his 33.

Stumper Wriddhiman Saha (10), the last recognized batsman, started off with a couple of boundaries easing the pressure, but did not last long and holed out to Guptill at mid-on off the bowling of McCullum.

Redmond then dismissed Amit Mishra (2), R P Singh (6), Sangwan (2) and Jadeja as the India A innings folded.

Scorecard

 New Zealand A (1st innings): 315

 India A (1st innings) (Overnight 162/3):
 Sahil Kukreja c Young b Boult 0
 M Vijay c Fulton b McCullum 98
 Suresh Raina lbw b Scott 11
 Sourav Ganguly [Images] run out (James Marshall) 14
 Cheteshwar Pujara c Young b O'Brien 80
 Ravindra Jadeja c O'Brien b Redmond 33
 Wriddhiman Saha c Guptill b McCullum 10
 Amit Mishra c&b Redmond 2
 RP Singh c Marshall b Redmond 6
 Pradeep Sangwan c Fulton b Redmond 2
 Ashok Dinda not out 0
 Extras: (B-14, LB-4, NB-1, W-1) 20
 Total: (all out in 119.1 overs) 276

 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-24, 3-56, 4-195, 5-221, 6-236, 7-248, 8-270, 9-274.

 Bowling: Ian O' Brien 22-9-42-1; Trent Boult 18-5-43-1; Bradley Scott 22-9-33-1; Nathan McCullum 44-8-105-2; Aaron Redmond 10.1-2-30-4; Martin Guptill 3-0-5-0.

 New Zealand A (2nd innings):
 Aaron Redmond c Jadeja b R P Singh 5
 Martin Guptil LBW Raina 41
 Peter Fulton b Mishra 33
 Greg Hay batting 15
 James Marshall batting 8
 Extras: (B-4, LB-1) 5
 Total: (for three wickets in 33 overs) 107

 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-70, 3-92.

 Bowling: R P Singh 5-0-18-1, Ashok Dinda 3-2-10-0, Pradeep Sangwan 2-0-17-0, Sourav Ganguly 2-0-9-0, Amit Mishra 9-3-29-1, Ravindra Jadeja 8-5-8-0, Suresh Raina 4-0-11-1.