India were in deep trouble at 4-86 in their reply after spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar helped bowl out New Zealand for 235 on day one of the third Test on Friday.
The hosts trailed New Zealand by 149 runs at the close of a fast-paced day one at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where the pitch has offered turn to the spinners.
Shubman Gill, on 31, and Rishabh Pant, on one, were batting at stumps after New Zealand’s Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel struck twice in two balls.
He bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal for 30 while attempting a reverse sweep, and then India’s ploy of sending a nightwatchman failed as Mohammed Siraj fell, trapped lbw.
But New Zealand’s biggest celebration came when a direct throw from Matt Henry ran out Virat Kohli for four.
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Skipper Rohit Sharma was the first to go, when he edged a delivery from pace bowler Henry to be caught at second slip for 18.
The left-handed Jaiswal and Gill put on 53 to resist the opposition spinners, but Patel broke through with left-arm orthodox.
New Zealand batsmen Will Young made 71 and Daryl Mitchell hit 82, after the tourists elected to bat first in a bid to sweep the series.
Jadeja bagged 5-65 with his left-arm spin. Off-spinner Sundar took four — including the final two batsmen, Mitchell and Patel — to wrap up the innings in 65.4 overs in the final session.
Mitchell, who reached his fifty before tea, attempted to anchor the innings after an 87-run fourth-wicket stand with Young before Sundar got him out.
Mitchell needed regular drinks as he seemed exhausted by the heat and humidity during his 129-ball knock, which included three fours and three sixes.
Jadeja struck regular blows and took two wickets in one over twice in the innings, to register his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Young reached his fifty soon after lunch with a straight six off Sundar. Jadeja eventually got Young caught at slip and struck again in the space of four deliveries, when wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was bowled for a duck.
Devon Conway was out for four before New Zealand skipper Tom Latham, who made 28, and Young attempted to steady the innings in a partnership of 44 for the second wicket.
Off-spinner Sundar came around the wicket to dismiss the left-handed Latham, who came forward to defend a delivery that pitched and straightened to rattle the off-stump.
Sundar again brought the crowd to their feet when he bowled left-handed Rachin Ravindra – who leads the batting charts in the series with 252 runs – for five.
The Black Caps sealed a first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil last week with victory in the second match in Pune.
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