Kiwi spinner Ajaz takes five wickets but India are ahead in the third Test

Text size

UPDATES on tea

Spinner Ajaz Patel took five wickets as New Zealand beat India by 263, with the hosts taking a lead of 28 on the second day of a hard-fought third Test on Saturday.

New Zealand were 26-1 at tea after Akash bowled deep skipper Tom Latham a single in the first over of the visitors' second innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Devon Conway (15) and Will Young (8) were at the goal at halftime.

Shubman Gill top-scored for India with 90 before New Zealand ended the home side's reply on 235 in the second period.

Gill and his overnight partner Rishabh Pant, who scored 60, countered with a stand of 96 and Washington Sundar scored an unbeaten 38 off 36 balls.

Glenn Phillips struck soon after lunch, sending back Ravindra Jadeja, who was caught at slip for 14.

Mumbai-born New Zealander Ajaz had Sarfaraz Khan caught behind for a duck in the next over.

Gill went at it with boundaries against the spinners in the next few overs before left-arm spinner Ajaz caught him at slip.

Sundar, a left-handed batsman, and Ravichandran Ashwin gave India the lead before Ajaz got Ashwin out for his sixth five-wicket haul of his career.

Ajaz took all 10 wickets in an innings in a 2021 Test at the same venue.

At 86-4, the batsmen were aggressive as India tried to avoid an embarrassing 3-0 series whitewash on home soil.

Gill survived a reprieve on the 45th over from substitute fielder Mark Chapman, who failed to hold on to a high catch from Phillips' bowling while running in from long-on.

Gill reached his fifty with a single and Pant continued the attack with regular boundaries to add to his half-ton in 36 balls.

New Zealand won the first two matches to secure their first ever Test series victory in India.