Wellington: New Zealand quick Trent Boult bagged three wickets to have India struggling for survival at stumps on day three of the first Test in Wellington on Sunday.
India, faced with a 183 run first-innings deficit, were 144 for four at the close, still 39 in arrears after rollicking innings by Boult and Kyle Jamieson pushed New Zealand to 348.
Ajinkya Rahane was unbeaten on 25 with Hanuma Vihari on 15.
Boult, back in Test cricket after breaking a hand during the Boxing Day Test in a disastrous series for New Zealand in Australia, took a back seat in India's first innings when Jamieson and Tim Southee took four wickets apiece to role the tourists for 165.
But he came to the fore on day three with figures of three for 27 as India, the world's top-ranked side looked lost in New Zealand conditions.
The tourists needed patience and determination as they worked to write off the deficit in the 65 overs they faced before stumps.
After Prithvi Shaw fell early, caught by a diving Tom Latham at backward square leg to give Boult his first wicket, Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara cautiously lifted the score to 78 for one.
But Pujara, who received loud applause when he ended a 28-ball drought with a two off Boult, was bowled by the New Zealand quick on the last ball before tea.
Agarwal went for 58 soon after the resumption and India were reduced to 96 for three.
It put pressure on Virat Kohli to perform after a string of low scores in New Zealand but on 19 his patience deserted him and a wild swing at a short Boult delivery was nicked to the keeper and India were 113 for four.
India had their opportunities to clip New Zealand's wings.
They opened the day with two wickets in the first three overs to have New Zealand 225 for seven, just 60 runs ahead.
But lusty hitting from Jamieson and then Boult paved the way for the final three wickets to add a further 123 runs.
Jamieson, only selected for his maiden Test while Neil Wagner is on paternity leave, followed up his four for 39 with an entertaining 44 off 45 deliveries with the bat when the New Zealand innings was teetering.
He blasted four sixes in the whirlwind knock and was caught going for a fifth having put on 71 with Colin de Grandhomme for the eighth wicket.
The run-a-ball innings was a record for a New Zealand number nine on debut eclipsing the 43 by Graham Vivian, also against India, 55 years ago.
De Grandhomme produced a more sedate 43 before Boult scored all 38 runs off 24 deliveries in the last wicket stand with Ajaz Patel.
Ishant Sharma was the most successful of the Indian bowlers with five for 68 while Ravi Ashwin took three for 99.
Prithvi Shaw b Tim Southee 16
Mayank Agarwal c Kyle Jamieson b Trent Boult 34
Cheteshwar Pujara c BJ Watling b Kyle Jamieson 11
Virat Kohli c Ross Taylor b Kyle Jamieson 2
Ajinkya Rahane c BJ Watling b Tim Southee 46
Hanuma Vihari c BJ Watling b Kyle Jamieson 7
Rishabh Pant Run Out Ajaz Patel 19
Ravichandran Ashwin b Tim Southee 0
Ishant Sharma c BJ Watling b Kyle Jamieson 5
Mohammed Shami c Tom Blundell b Tim Southee 21
Jasprit Bumrah Not Out 0
Extras 0b 1lb 0nb 0pen 3w 4
Total (68.1 overs): 165 all out
Fall of Wickets: 1-16 Shaw, 2-35 Pujara, 3-40 Kohli, 4-88 Agarwal, 5-101 Vihari, 6-132 Pant, 7-132 Ashwin, 8-143 Rahane, 9-165 Sharma, 10-165 Shami
Bowling: Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Tim Southee 20.1 5 49 4 2.43
Trent Boult 18 2 57 1 3.17
Colin de Grandhomme 11 5 12 0 1.09
Kyle Jamieson 16 3 39 4 2.44 2w
Ajaz Patel 3 2 7 0 2.33
New Zealand 1st innings
Tom Latham c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma 11
Tom Blundell b Ishant Sharma 30
Kane Williamson c (Sub) b Mohammed Shami 89
Ross Taylor c Cheteshwar Pujara b Ishant Sharma 44
Henry Nicholls c Virat Kohli b Ravichandran Ashwin 17
BJ Watling c Rishabh Pant b Jasprit Bumrah 14
Colin de Grandhomme c Rishabh Pant b Ravichandran Ashwin 43
Tim Southee c Mohammed Shami b Ishant Sharma 6
Kyle Jamieson c Hanuma Vihari b Ravichandran Ashwin 44
Ajaz Patel Not Out 4
Trent Boult c Rishabh Pant b Ishant Sharma 38
Extras 1b 1lb 0nb 0pen 6w 8
Total (100.2 overs): 48 all out
Fall of Wickets: 1-26 Latham, 2-73 Blundell, 3-166 Taylor, 4-185 Williamson, 5-207 Nicholls, 6-216 Watling, 7-225 Southee, 8-296 Jamieson, 9-310 de Grandhomme, 10-348 Boult
Bowling: Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Jasprit Bumrah 26 5 88 1 3.38 2w
Ishant Sharma 22.2 6 68 5 3.04
Mohammed Shami 23 2 91 1 3.96
Ravichandran Ashwin 29 1 99 3 3.41
India 2nd innings
Prithvi Shaw c Tom Latham b Trent Boult 14
Mayank Agarwal c BJ Watling b Tim Southee 58
Cheteshwar Pujara b Trent Boult 11
Virat Kohli c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 19
Ajinkya Rahane Not Out 25
Hanuma Vihari Not Out 15
Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 2w 2
Total (65.0 overs): 144-4
Fall of Wickets: 1-27 Shaw, 2-78 Pujara, 3-96 Agarwal, 4-113 Kohli To Bat: Pant, Ashwin, Shami, Sharma, Bumrah
Bowling: Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Tim Southee 15 5 41 1 2.73
Trent Boult 16 6 27 3 1.69
Colin de Grandhomme 14 5 25 0 1.79
Kyle Jamieson 17 7 33 0 1.94 2w
Ajaz Patel 3 0 18 0 6.00
