There will be no let up, says Tendulkar

After putting India to an advantageous position with his 42nd Test ton, Sachin Tendulkar today hoped for a favourable outcome but said there would be no let up in the intensity.

"It is always a good feeling to be in a position that we are in. I think we are in a strong position now and that is what really matters to us. There is a terrific atmosphere in the dressing room," Tendulkar said.

"We sort of led from the front from the first session of this Test match and at this point in time we are very much on our way to achieving something good. But we don't want to take anything for granted," he said.

About the injury he sustained on his left index finger while taking a catch at first slip of Tim McIntosh, he said, "It is fine. It is a bit sore right now. I am glad that I have not broken it." But was the catch clean? "I was 100 per cent confident that I had taken the catch. I have seen the replays and I have also seen my fingers under the ball. If the umpires were in doubt they would have definitely called for the third umpire."

New Zealand are trailing India by 166 runs with three wickets already down in their second innings after India scored a massive 520 in their first innings on the third day of the match. "Tomorrow's first session is going to be extremely important and we hope to go flat out," said Tendulkar, who dedicated his 160 -- his 42nd Test hundred -- to tiger conservation.

Tendulkar also said he was middling the ball very well. "Initially, it was a little difficult to get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket yesterday. It did take some time to find the centre of my bat. They did bowl a good line and in good areas. You just got to respect and play out good spells."

Asked if he was happy with the way he score the hundred, Tendulkar said, "I thought once the new ball was taken I started timing the ball much better. After that things were different. I was quite happy with the way I moved and found the centre more often than not. Every hundred is not going to be a fluent one and you are not going to hit 100 balls out of 100 from the centre of the bat. That is what Test cricket is all about. There are days that you have to work harder than the other ones," Tendulkar said.