PHOTOS: Rain ends play early but New Zealand in control

Images from Day 2 of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Kanpur, on Friday:

- Scorecard

Skipper Kane Williamson and opener Tom Latham led New Zealand's robust reply with unbeaten half-centuries before rain and a wet outfield washed out the final session of the second day's play in the first Test against India on Friday.

The duo featured in an unbroken 117-run stand to take New Zealand to 152 for one at tea before it started drizzling at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium and no further play was possible.

Having bowled out the hosts for 318, New Zealand lost Martin Guptill (21) before lunch but the left-right combination of Latham and Williamson negated the home spinners with aplomb.

Latham was batting on 56, while Williamson was on 65 with New Zealand trailing India by 166 runs with nine wickets in hand.

Guptill could not convert the start he got and was trapped leg before by a full, swinging delivery from Umesh Yadav.

Latham and Williamson looked quite at ease against the spinners who did manage a few leg-before appeals but could not separate them.

The batsmen brought up their individual fifties in successive overs, but not before Latham had survived a scare.

The southpaw went for a sweep shot against Ravindra Jadeja and the deflection hit his boot and popped up for Lokesh Rahul to take the catch at short leg.

The decision was referred to the third umpire who ruled in the batsman's favour after replays suggested the ball had touched the chin strap of Rahul's helmet.

According to regulations, any part of protective gears are not supposed to come into play while taking a catch.

Earlier, the Indian tail wagged for seven overs after the hosts had resumed on 291 for nine to take them past the 300-run mark.

With number 11 batsman Yadav (nine) at the other end, Jadeja (42 not out) took the onus of scoring on himself, contributing 26 of the 27 runs India added to their overnight score.

Jadeja hit Mitchell Santner for a six but could not get to his second Test half-century as Neil Wagner had Yadav caught behind to end India's 41-run partnership for the last wicket.