Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have made the most of a turning pitch in Kanpur to rip through New Zealand, with India racking up a commanding 215-run lead on Saturday's third day of the first Test in Kanpur.
Jadeja claimed his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests and Ashwin dismissed four frontline batsmen as New Zealand squandered a strong start, losing their last five wickets for seven runs to be all out for 262 and concede a 56-run first- innings lead.
India scored freely to consolidate their position in the first match of the three-Test series, reaching 1-159 at stumps with Murali Vijay (64) and Cheteshwar Pujara (50) at the crease.
Opener Lokesh Rahul (38) fell to Ish Sodhi just before tea, but Vijay and Pujara registered their second individual fifties of the match.
The pair added 107 runs for the second wicket and never looked in trouble against New Zealand's three-pronged spin attack, cutting with control and pulling with style.
Home captain Virat Kohli opted for spin from both ends to start the third day and New Zealand were soon robbed of the slight advantage they held after resuming on 1-152 in reply to India's 318.
Offspinner Ashwin provided the breakthrough by drifting one into Tom Latham's (58) front pad for a lbw decision to end the left-hander's 124-run partnership with captain Kane Williamson.
Jadeja struck in the next over, dismissing Ross Taylor lbw for a duck with a delivery that appeared to be sliding down the leg side, but there was no such ambiguity when Ashwin clean bowled Williamson (75) with a ripper three overs later.
India's premier spinner pitched it slightly short and considerably outside the off stump, prompting Williamson to rock back in an attempt to punch it through the covers but the ball spun spitefully to breach the right-hander's defence.
Luke Ronchi (38) added 49 with Mitchell Santner (32) but fell to a debatable lbw decision after Jadeja trapped him with a dipping delivery which might have been missing off stump.
Jadeja dismissed Mark Craig and Sodhi off successive deliveries. The left-arm spinner could not complete a hat-trick but claimed a third wicket in the over when he dismissed Trent Boult.
Ashwin caught BJ Watling (21) off his own bowling to end New Zealand's resistance to ensure the tourists would have to bat in the fourth innings on a track offering significant spin.
