New Zealand claimed the upper hand in the first Test after reducing Australia to 152 for seven at tea on the day one.

A defiant unbeaten 60 from Michael Clarke propped up the home side`s first-innings effort as 20-year-old bowler Tim Southee made early inroads into the Australian order and the Black Caps maintained the pressure throughout the opening two sessions.

Southee had left Australia 60 for three at lunch before Clarke led the fightback with a mature half-century as Mike Hussey (35), Andrew Symonds (26), Shane Watson (one) and Brad Haddin, who fell to Jesse Ryder for six with the last ball before the interval, all offered limited resistance.

Hussey had looked in good touch before being trapped lbw by Chris Martin when he shouldered arms to a ball that pitched outside the line of off stump.

Symonds took a more direct approach in his return to the national side after a three-month absence for disciplinary reasons.

After carefully watching 21 balls, the all-rounder exploded with three consecutive boundaries off Grant Elliot's seventh over.

He maintained his aggressive mindset and after presenting Aaron Redmond with a tough chance he couldn't grasp, notably grabbed eight runs from one delivery when he and Clarke ran four and the visitors conceded a further four overthrows.

Two balls later, however, Iain O'Brien captured Symonds` wicket when he was caught behind after timidly prodding at a sharp delivery to leave Australia 132 for five.

That became 139 for six when Watson attempted a cut but instead edged a wide ball from O'Brien to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, handing the 32-year-old his second wicket.

Earlier, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and decided to put the Australians in on a lively green pitch.

His decision was vindicated almost immediately when Southee extracted good bounce and movement to leave the hosts in trouble at 23 for three.

Playing his first Test match against Australia and just the third of his career, Southee did not take long to make his mark as he put the new ball to good use and removed Australia's top three batsmen.

Matthew Hayden was the first to go for eight in the fourth over when he tentatively drove at a delivery that squared the opener up and a thick edge flew to Ross Taylor at first slip.

Southee then grabbed the wicket of Simon Katich (10) in his next over when the batsman produced a thin nick to keeper McCullum off a seaming delivery.

Finally, the 20-year-old dismissed Ricky Ponting for four with a rising delivery short of a length that the Australian captain popped up to Jamie How at second slip.