New Zealand have compiled a 143-run lead in their second innings after a remarkable performance from Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin on day two in Mumbai on Saturday.
By the end of day two, the tourists found themselves at 171-9, following Jadeja's dismissal of Matt Henry, marking his fourth wicket of the innings.
New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel played a pivotal role in bowling India out for 263, securing his own five-wicket haul. This helped the tourists take a slender first-innings lead of 28 runs, building on their earlier victories that sealed New Zealand's first-ever Test series triumph in India. The team now eyes a potential 3-0 sweep.
"The pitch is turning quite sharply," Patel noted post-match, acknowledging the challenges posed to batters due to inconsistent turn and bounce.
Meanwhile, Indian opener Shubman Gill, who scored 90 runs, emphasised the importance of building strong partnerships when chasing totals around 150-160 runs.
India's bowling attack managed early breakthroughs, with fast bowler Akash Deep dismissing New Zealand skipper Tom Latham for just one run.
Washington Sundar and Ashwin further chipped in with key wickets, reducing New Zealand to 44-3 before a 50-run partnership between Will Young and Daryl Mitchell provided some resistance.
Earlier, India had shown promise with aggressive batting from Gill and Rishabh Pant, who added 96 runs together. However, Patel's outstanding bowling performance kept the Indian innings in check, as he secured his sixth career five-wicket haul.
With the match hanging in the balance, India is striving to avoid an embarrassing whitewash on home soil, while New Zealand is eager to complete a historic series win.
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