Setting target is still far away, we have to bat out Day 4 first session: Ashwin

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that setting a target is still some distance away in the first Test as Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari will need to bat out the first session on the fourth day on a helpful track against an incisive New Zealand attack.

India ended the third day at 144 for 4 in their second innings and still trail New Zealand's first innings score by 39 runs.

"They are bowling lovely lengths and incisive in second innings even when the pitch is not the same as first day. They have made it hard for us and like the Test has just begun for us. They have bowled 65 overs and we have to see how they wake up and we have to bat another session in morning, Ashwin said at the press conference.

Asked what kind of total can be defended in the fourth innings, Ashwin remained non-committal.

"I know to keep it simple and say this is defendable and this is not, (it) is pretty much how you would want me to present it, but it's too much -- like six sessions to go and we are not even at a stage where we can say what is a good score to defend."