Daryll Mitchell scored an impressive half
century and stitched a gritty partnership with Henry Nicholls to save New Zealand
some pride and take the ongoing second Test into the fourth day as a dominant India
closed in on victory at the end of Day 3 on Sunday.

Chasing a mammoth target of 540 to win, New
Zealand were reeling at 55 for the loss of three before Mitchell (60) and
Nicholls (36*) added 73 runs for the third wicket. But their resistance did not
last long, with Mitchell coming down the track once too often in an attempt to
dispatch Axar Patel for a six, mistiming his effort to find the fielder at deep
extra cover.

Also Read | Ajaz Patel recalls moments before historic feat, says it was a nervous time

This was followed by a horrible mix-up
between Nicholls and Tom Blundell (0), resulting in the latter’s run out as the
better half of New Zealand’s batting order found themselves back in the
pavilion with their score at 140 for the loss of five. The Kiwis are 400 runs behind
the target at the end of the day’s play.

The day started with Ajaz Patel continuing
his record-breaking form from the first innings to account for four of the Indian
wickets. The Mumbai-born spinner’s figures of 14 for 225 is now the record for highest
number of wickets taken by any bowler against India in a single Test match.

Mayank Agarwal (62) – who also continued
his heroics from the first innings with a fifty in the second – was the first to
fall as he picked out the fielder at long-off as he looked to up the ante
against Patel. Cheteshwar Pujara (47) also fell to the left-arm spinner, edging
a delivery to Ross Taylor in the slips.

Also Read | ‘We live in a world of perfectionism, don’t we?’ Justin Langer on Tim Paine sexting scandal

This was followed by the first wicket for
New Zealand not taken by Patel, as Shubman Gill (47) sent a delivery by Rachin
Ravindra straight to Tom Latham at cover. Patel then got Shreyas Iyer (14)
stumped, before Ravindra bowled skipper Virat Kohli (36) and got Wriddhiman Saha (13) caught at mid-on. 

Jayant Yadav (6) was caught and bowled by Patel before India declared at 276 for the loss of seven.