As expected, Sri Lanka have proven to be much harder to dismiss in their 2nd dig but it's nothing worth get your knickers in a twist about. 

Trent Boult and Tim Southee both beat the outside edge nearly every over, while Mark Craig offered plenty with some juicy flight as well as spitting a few off the pitch (if goes without saying that Neil Wagner and Jimmy Neesham played their part as well). There were opportunities created nearly every over and it always looked like it was pretty difficult to bat for periods of time. Hence why the Sri Lankans finished 5 wickets down after being in control for much of the day, you never really knew what was around the corner as both bat and ball had their moments.

That's where you have to admire the work of opener Dimuth Karunaratne who was rewarded with his first century. It was the type of innings that Test cricket is based on and in tough circumstances both in terms of what's on the scoreboard and facing an attack full of confidence. He stood up, so did Angelo Mathews and Sri Lanka are still in the contest, just ... well they're alive.

It was one of those days where you just have to keep on showing up, putting it in good areas and work hard which the Stable did. They were rewarded with the late wickets of Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella which would have pleased the skipper hugely. They just kept running in hard as is expected of any international bowler, not just Neil Wagner.

The best thing about Brendon McCullum's captaincy, besides his supreme ability leading by example in the field is the nature of his captaincy. He'll try things, put himself at short point to create a chance or keep the bowlers ticking over. It makes it bloody fun to watch when things slow down as you're trying to figure out what's going on in B-Mac's noggin.

Just on Craig, with Ish Sodhi waiting in the wings there's plenty of pressure to perform. Craig bowled beautifully for mine, getting bounce and turn which would make a batsman flinch in horror but he needs wickets. When you have two spinners competing for a spot, it's less about dotting em up and more about taking wickets, especially when you're on top.

The Black Caps are very much in the driver's seat here. Maybe Angelo Mathews decides to go nuts and hit a swift double hundy or something, otherwise the Stable will have to keep bowling good areas and generate a wicket. It's only day 4 tomorrow, so no need to panic.