New Zealand left gasping even as Ajaz Patel registers best-ever figures against India

India wrested complete control on the third day of the Mumbai Test with another dominant show with both bat and ball. By the end of the day, New Zealand were adrift by 399 runs with only five wickets remaining.

India's dominance through the day first began with the bat, even as Ajaz Patel registered the best-ever match haul of 14/225 in Tests against India.

Starting the day with an overall lead of 332, both Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara raced away at the start of the day hitting as many as five boundaries in the first four overs. Pujara was happy to whip Ajaz through midwicket while Mayank preferred to drive or loft him over cover.

Mayank survived an LBW call against Tim Southee with the help of a review and soon got to a fifty in the following over with a neat six off Ajaz. The 100-run partnership soon followed, with both batters now looking to up the ante further.

In the process of taking on Ajaz, Mayank offered a sharp return catch which was put down. But he offered another soon after while trying to repeat a lofted four on the offside, and ended up presenting an easy catch to long-off, falling for 62. Pujara survived an LBW shout through a review but fell to Ajaz soon after, nicking to slip three short of a half-century.

Shubman Gill survived a few nervous moments against the pacers' round-the-wicket short ball strategy, and along with Virat Kohli, who also survived a review for LBW began India's attack against New Zealand after the Lunch break. Kohli and Gill built India's lead with a 72-run stand to keep New Zealand on the mat. The duo found success in hitting Will Somerville's offspin in the midwicket area, setting the tone for what was to follow. Gill, though, fell three short of his fifty, becoming the first wicket in Test cricket of Rachin Ravindra. It was also the first in the match by a New Zealand bowler other than Ajaz Patel.

That didn't deter India's approach though, as all of the batters that followed came out with the intent of attacking, with Somerville bearing the brunt once again. Kohli chopped one on after getting 36 but Shreyas Iyer hit a couple of sixes and Axar Patel smacked four later as India pressed the lead past 500 despite losing quick wickets in the process.

They eventually declared when Jayant Yadav became Ajaz's 14th victim of the match. And in the short period before Tea, which was called ahead of schedule because of the malfunctioning Spider-Cam, R Ashwin trapped Tom Latham plumb in front.

On a day dominated by India once again, New Zealand's lone show of resistance finally came through Daryl Mitchell, who scored an enterprising 60. With confidence in lofting the spinners, Mitchell saved the visitors a few blushes for a while. But R Ashwin led India's charge once again getting Will Young caught at short leg while Ross Taylor, who attacked everything without success in his 8-ball stay, ended up giving a simple catch. Mitchell fell trying to loft Axar twice in an over, holing out in the deep. And was soon followed by Tom Blundell who ran himself out, as India tightened their grip over the match, and series.

Brief Scores: India 325 & 276/7 (Mayank Agarwal 62, C Pujara 47; Ajaz Patel 4-106, Rachin Ravindra 3-56) lead New Zealand 62 and 140/5 (Daryl Mitchell 60l Ashwin 3-27) by 400 runs