India vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 3 Highlights: IND trail by 39 runs

A run after 33 dot balls for India! Rahane and Vihari are grinding it out at Wellington. Rahane hits two fours on the trot as Jamieson bowls short. IND are 135/4 after 59 overs, trailing by 48 runs.

Bouncer from Tim Southee and Ajinya Rahane gets hit flush on the helmet. That looks bad. The physio is out and gave him a thumbs up to continue playing. IND are 126/4 after 56 overs, trail by 57 runs.

With the wicket of Mayank Agarwal, Tim Southee became the first bowler to take 300 international wickets in New Zealand. The wicket edged him ahead of his good mate Daniel Vettori who took 299 wickets in NZ. IND are 126/4 after 53 overs.

FOUR! Boult strays down the leg and Vihari gets it away fine for his first boundary. IND are 123/4 after 50 overs

Boult bowls another unplayable over as Vihari ducks and swerves out of the way. Good movement being extracted by Boult in this spell. No runs added in that over. Drinks are called for. The last break of the day. India are 115/4 after 48 overs, trailing by 68 runs

India trail by 68 runs with around 45 minutes to go in the day. Rahane and Vihari are in the middle for India, with Trent Boult (3/18 so far) breathing fire in the last session. The situation is dire for the visiting team, but Rahane and Vihari are both crisis men. If there would have to be any two batsmen who could bail India out of this, it has to be these two. Pant and the bowlers to come after this.

New Zealand go up in huge appeal for an lbw call against Vihari. De Grandhomme the bowler. Umpire's decision is not out but New Zealand go for the DRS. Replays show the ball would have missed the stumps. Vihari survives.

Vihari survives a scare the first ball he faces. Trent Boult is breathing fire! Vihari manages to get off the mark with a push down leg side. IND 114/4 after 46 overs, trail by 69 runs

Kohli's wicket was the 50th time Watling caught a batsman out off Trent Boult.

Kohli is out! Is that the match! Trent Boult comes on as bowling change and he immediately gets the Indian skipper. Caught behind. Another catch for Watling. New Zealand are delighted with that scalp. With Kohli's wicket, India are in all sorts of trouble. He goes for 19 to leave India bereft of their best hope of making a match out of this. IND 113/4 after 45.2 overs, trail by 70 runs. Hanuma Vihari the new man to join Rahane.

Rahane plays an elegant drive through the covers off De Grandhomme. A thing of art when Rahane connects like this. That is his second boundary of the day. IND 113/3 after 45 overs, trail by 70 runs

Kohli moves to 19 with a quick single. He is looking a lot surer of himself than what he did when he first stepped out today. Was leaving Jamieson's deliveries outside the line alone. Now he is confident enough to take forward strides, time the ball into the ground and take quick singles. Rahane complimenting his skipper well. He also takes a quick single with a shot to the off side. IND 109/3 after 44 overs, trail by 74 runs

Rahane is off the mark. With a boundary. And a very aggressive looking shot to get there. Goes for a strong lofted cut above the head of backward point. No one there to cut that boundary off and the vice-captain is off. IND 105/3 after 42 overs, trail by 78 runs

Agarwal's dismissal was interesting on a few counts. Firstly, he was seen in the nets practising playing the overpitched ball. Ironic that he falls to a very overpitched ball in the 2nd innings. Also, it shows how the short ball attack does not mean that wickets will only fall off the short ball. Southee bowled short balls at him all through the over - no incident - then he bowled one in on overpitched length - that brought him the wicket.

Kohli is still facing some trouble with the short ball. Southee gets him fending awakwardly in the 41st over. Kohli ducks the next bouncer. Short ball strategy clearly the chosen ploy for the home team against the Indian batsmen. IND 101/3 after 41 overs, trail by 82 runs still.

That is the exact sight India wants to see. Kohli takes a forward stride and slashes Jamieson for four on the off side. Rockets away to the fence. 100 up for India. Huge task ahead for these two experienced campaigners - the captain and the vice captain, IND 101/3 after 40 overs, trail by 82 runs

That is the end of Agarwal's resistance. Caught behind given. Or is it? Agarwal goes for the DRS call with 1 second left on the clock. Inconclusive angles because of the short leg fielder. Third umpire decides he will stay with the original decision. Mayank Agarwal is out for 58. Another good hand from him at the top of the order, but India are nowhere close to being safe. Rahane to join Kohli. IND 96/3 after 38.4 overs, trail by 87 runs.

Kohli shoulders his arms and leaves balls outside the off stump well alone. Jamieson bowls another maiden over. Of his 9 overs, 6 have been maidens. Phenomenal stuff from the debutant. Kohli is looking to play very circumspectly. Not offering his shots at all at the moment. Then  Southee makes Agarwal almost make a mistake. Pulls at the short ball but misses it completely. IND 96/2 after 38.3 overs, trail by 87 runs

That is a nice confident shot. Probably the most aggressive shot of the session so far. Tim Southee is smashed on the leg side for a big shot. One drop and over the ropes. Southee has leaked a few runs since the Tea break whereas Jamieson has given nothing away at the other end. Given that Southee and Jamieson are similar kinds of bowlers, could one of them be dropped to make way for Wagner in the 2nd Test? IND 96/2 after 37 overs, trail by 87 runs

Again, there is a Kohli shot that stays in the air just long enough to get the New Zealand team excited. Kohli has managed to survive so far but the timing has not been very good from him so far. Another maiden over for Jamieson. 8-5-7-0 his figures now. Given he bowling in this fashion on debut, it will be very difficult to drop him when Wagner comes back in the next Test. IND 92/2 after 36 overs, trail by 91 runs

Kohli gets another four to his name but that had more than a bit of luck about it. Another outswinger that left the batsman very late. Kohli gets a leading edge to fly off. Just one slip in place. Had there been more, Kohli would have been walking back now. He moves into double figures after that four though. IND 92/2 after 35 overs, trail by 91 runs

Jamieson starts off on a frugal note. Another maiden for him. He has given away 7 runs in his 7 overs so far. Agarwal plays out the over without incident. He threw his wicket away after setting himself in the first innings. Perhaps his white ball tendencies took over. Has to be careful he does not throw away his start today.

Cries of 'catch' as Kohli lofts a drive ever so slightly. That pierces the field and goes to the fence. Four runs for Kohli to start off.  The next ball is pushed to the leg side and the batsmen scamper through for a couple of runs. The deficit is brought down to double digits. IND 85/2 after 33 overs, trail by 98 runs

Kohli and Mayank Agarwal enter the field for India at the beginning of the third session. Kohli has had a very indifferent tour of New Zealand so far. He did get a second innings 100 in Wellington though. India will want him to come up with a similar effort today. The deficit now 105 runs. 8 wickets in hand for India. What will the scenario be at the end of the day? 

With one session left in the day, how is the match poised? Well, it is India who are still under a lot of pressure. Had Pujara managed to get to Tea without losing his wicket, it might have been said that India had won the 2nd session. He lost his wicket off the final ball of the session. The deficit is still over 100, so the pressure continues to be on India. Play resumes in 10 more minutes. Can skipper Kohli come up with a knock to silence his critics?

Pujara falls at the stroke of Tea on Day 3.#TeamIndia 165 & 78/2, trail New Zealand (348)by 105 runs.

Scorecard - https://t.co/tW3NpQIHJT #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/dMvBvnh6bz

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2020

What a ball! Pujara left it alone. Turns out to be a very poor piece of judgement. Ball swerves in and clatters his off stump. Pujara looked like he had done enough to get to Tea. However, he is gone off the last ball of the session. Disaster for him and India. Pujara is out for 11 off 81 balls. So, when play resumes after the Tea break, Kohli will come out with Mayank Agarwal, who is on 52. India are 78/2 after 32 overs, trailing New Zealand by 105 runs

Pujara pushes Ajaz Patel to the fine leg region for three runs. He moves to 11. Off 75 balls. He has been there for one hour and 42 minutes. Typical Pujara innings. Time for one last over in the session. IND 78/1 after 31 overs, trail by 105 runs

End of the 30th over of the session. Pujara continues his watchful vigil even as Boult continues attacking his off stump. Pujara has been there for 71 balls. He has got 8 runs to show for his efforts so far. However, he will have done a commendable job if he can protect his wicket till the break. That will give India a decent chance of levelling with New Zealand by the end of today.

Mayank Agarwal gets to his 50 with a sweep shot off Ajaz Patel. 50 for him. What a fighting knock under pressure. Five dot balls in the over apart from that. IND 72/1 after 29 overs, trail by 111 runs. India will be looking to cut down the deficit to less than 100 by the Tea break. Another 2-3 overs before the players head into the second break of the day.

Boult bowls two maiden overs on the trot, even as Agarwal attacks the spinner at the other end. Appeals as Pujara gets an inside edge onto his pads in the over. Ajaz Patel bowls his second over. Agarwal on strike. 

Ajaz Patel is brought on eventually. In the 27th over. This pair has been in the middle for 110 balls now. They have added 31 runs, but more important than that is the kind of resistance they have showed. If they can take India to the Tea break without any further loss of wickets, they will be said to have survived a difficult session to give India some hope of a comeback. Agarwal hits Ajaz Patel for a four on the leg side. A boundary after a long time for India. And then there is a HUGE shot. Again from Agarwal. Dances down the track and lofts him for six. 10 runs in the over and now we know why Williamson was reluctant to bring on his spin option. IND 68/1 after 27 overs, trail by 115 runs

Jamieson is taken off after a superb spell. Trent Boult, who has got the only wicket to fall in this innings, is brought back for one final spell in this session. Williamson has opted to give long spells to his bowlers. Again, like in the 1st innings, Ajaz Patel does not have the ball thrown to him. Boult starts with a maiden over. India still trail by 125 runs

We are into the last hour of the afternoon session - the longest session of the day - and India are not finding runs easy to come by. Maybe the target is to get to the Tea break without any further loss of wickets. Jamieson bowls another maiden. He has given away just 7 runs in his 6 overs. But then Agarwal pounces on a loose ball off De Grandhomme to get a four in the third man region,. Welcome runs. He moves to 37. IND 58/1 after 25 overs, trail by 125 runs

Another aggressive shot from Agarwal in the next over by Jamieson. Three runs to him again. Jaimieson now opts for a round the wicket appraoch to Pujara. This partnership now worth 27 runs off 88 balls. The batsmen have been tested. The going has been tough - especially for Pujara, who is on 6 off 47 balls. Ajaz Patel is seen warming up but still no spin for New Zealand. IND 54/1 after 22 overs, trail by 129 runs

Agarwal hits a lofted shot as De Grandhomme bowls a slightly looser ball on a short length. Three runs to him. Agarwal is moving his individual score along at a good rate even though his team is under pressure. He has done well to curb his attacking instincts for the sake of the team. IND 51/1 after 21 overs, trail by 132 runs

Agarwal plays and misses the short ball from Jamieson. That strikes his upper arm. That will sting. Another great over from Jamieson. Considering that Neil Wagner is set to come into the XI in the 2nd Test, who will New Zealand drop, given that Jamieson has bowled so well? Maybe Ajaz Patel's spin will be sacrificed. IND 47/1 after 20 overs still, trail by 136 runs.

Pujara has a Test average of 14 in New Zealand. For the legendary status he has garnered in most other countries in this format, Pujara's woes in New Zealand are not over yet. He has been there for 35 balls now. And that is his 5th run, as he gets back for a double. The unconventional field in place for Pujara might be preying on his mind too. IND 47/1 after 19 overs, trail by 136 runs

Pujara is in all kinds of trouble at the moment. As play restarts after drinks, a bouncer from Jamieson whistles past his nose and his bat. Gets a stare from Jamieson in its aftermath. Then almost goes for a suicidal run in a bid to get off strike. Panicked shouts from Agarwal to send Pujara back. The last ball of the over is better played. Pujara sways out of the way. IND 44/1 after 18 overs, trail by 139 runs

Agarwal gets a welcome boundary. Helps the ball on its way to the point region, where there is no fielder. Agarwal hits his third boundary of the day. There are huge appeals against Agarwal for a caught behind off the last ball of the over as well. Umpire is not interested. Drinks are called for. IND 43/1 after 17 overs, trail by 140 runs

Huge appeals from the New Zealand camp. Caught behind appeal vs Pujara. Umpire signals a referral. Replays indicate that there was no glove on that and that the ball deflected off Pujara's arm guard instead. Looks like Pujara has survived, but that was a bad way to deal with the short ball from Jamieson. 

Fourth  maiden on the trot. No runs for 25 balls. Pujara draws his bat away from the ball at the last moment. Watling knows that could have been a catch very easily. Indian batsmen feeling the pressure. This drying up of runs is not harmful in itself but this is making the pressure on the batsmen evident. IND still 36/1 after 15 overs, still trailing by 147 runs

No runs have been scored in the last 19 balls. Both Jamieson and Grandhomme have started off their spells with run-less overs. Agarwal and Pujara have been taking care to play absolutely risk-free cricket ever since Shaw went out to another awkward shot. There is a very unique field for Pujara in place at the moment. Three men in close catching positions in the cover region. Like a slip cordon, there is a short mid off cordon in place for him now. 

Kyle Jamieson and Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand's change bowlers, are in action. Jamieson has enjoyed a terrific Test debut so far. He got Pujara in the first innings. Can he do it again in the 2nd innings? IND 36/1 after 13 overs, trail by 147 runs

Agarwal loses in balance in trying to push it to the leg side ans short mid wicket thinks for a moment there is a catch for the taking. The field is closed in around Pujara at the moment. Pujara sends Agarwal back as he calls for a quick single. The Indian batsmen are under a lot of pressure here. IND 36/1 after 11 overs, trail by 147 runs

Pujara survives! He plays a Boult bouncer without knowing anything about it. Ball hits his gloves and loops up. Lands between fielders and allows Pujara to cross for a single. Nervy opening few minutes for Pujara. IND 32/1 after 10 overs, trail by 151 runs

Pujara - the new Wall - comes in and plays two dot balls off Boult to start off. Pujara is yet to have any significant knocks in New Zealand. This match would be as good a chance to set that record straight as any. Agarwal gets three runs by pushing it on the leg side through the gaps. Agarwal is looking to play like the New Zealand batsmen were playing. Running his runs hard. Southee then draws a leading edge off Pujara but that lands safely short of the fielder. The next ball as well sees Pujara play a slightly mistimed shot. The ball stays in the air for a while. IND 31/1 after 9 overs, trail by 152 runs

Shaw finds the gap in the field between the slip cordon and gully. Four runs. Next ball is also short by Boult but is dug into Shaw's ribs. Shaw gets into an awkward position and can only fend the ball away for Latham to take a diving catch behind square on the leg side. New Zealand strike in the second innings. IND 27/1 after 7.4 overs, trail by 156 runs

After the two boundaries from Agarwal, Shaw finds the boundary too. Punched off the back foot off Southee. Four in the deep cover region. India's openers have got the team off to a good start. The visitors were dismissed for 165 in the first innings. The pitch has eased up since then though. They will be looking to make amends in the second innings and it is vital that Shaw and Agarwal stay in the middle for a considerable time. IND 22/0 after 7 overs, trail by 161 runs

Driven nicely by Agarwal for four. The last four was through the covers. This is sent past the bowler. That is timed so well it races away to the fence. Agarwal is showing some positive intent in these early stages. He spent a lot of time in the middle in the first innings before throwing his wicket away in a bid to accelerate. Ends the 6th over with a push through covers for a double. IND 18/0 after 6 overs, trail by 165 runs

Shaw is looking to live a little dangerously at the moment. The ball flying past his edge on several occasions already. Agarwal has offered a more solid defence. Southee and Boult still pressing with the new ball for New Zealand. India trail by 171 runs

Because of the extended first session, the playing times have been changed slightly:

Second session: 2:25-4:40pm (6:55-9:10am IST)
Third session: 5:00-7:00pm (9:30am-11:30am IST)

Mayank Agarwal's cover drive for four has brought some optimism to the India camp. IND 10/0 after 3 overs, trail by 173 runs

Mayank Agarwal starts off the second innings on a positive note. The last ball of Southee's over is driven sweetly to the deep cover fence. Trent Boult shares the new ball with Southee. Steady over from bhim to start off. IND 6/0 after 2 overs, trail by 177 runs

Shaw and Agarwal walk out for India's second innings. The second session of Day 3 is underway with Tim Southee steaming in. Starts off with an outswinger much like the ball he had bowled to get Shaw out in the first innings. 

There is not much history that is on India's side at the moment. This is the second biggest lead that India have conceded under Kohli's captaincy when batting first in a Test. However, New Zealand lost to Pakistan by seven wickets in 2003 after taking 170 runs lead at Wellington - only time when a team lost a Test in New Zealand after taking 150-plus runs lead of first innings. 

It cannot be easy at any stage from this point on, but India must avoid losing early wickets. If Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal can give India a good start, the middle order may get a platform to play India back into the match.

Ishant Sharma - who took a fifer - leads India off the field after the innings. Huge advantage to the home team as we head into the longest break of the day. New Zealand have added 123 runs for the last three wickets and that has put them in a huge position of strength. The runs came in some very odd ways - especially when Trent Boult was batting - but there were a lot of quick runs in the morning session. India restart their bid to save the match when play resumes after the Lunch break.

Ishant Sharma has 5! All out for 348 with a 183 run lead. A thrilling Trent Boult innings comes to an end at 38 tucked up and caught by Pant. Scorecard | https://t.co/vWdNIMMIwd #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/s0Ack1xlnN

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 23, 2020

Trent Boult is finally dismissed. He goes for a eventful stay of 38 runs. Ishant Sharma picks up his fifer. 5/68 his figures from the innings. New Zealand are all out for 348. They get a first innings lead of 183 runs. Big task for India up ahead when play resumes after the Lunch break.

Ishant Sharma at Basin Reserve, Wellington.

2014 - 5-wicket haul ??
2020 - 5-wicket haul ??#TeamIndia #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/E3YLO1T1YZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2020

Get on the Boult train because it seems to show no signs of stopping. Slashed for four off Shami. Smashed to sweeper cover. Moves to 36. There have been 36 runs in this partnership, all of those runs scored by Boult. Ajaz Patel, his partner, also seems in a bit of disbelief. He has shown more solid technique, but his role right now is to just hang in there as Boult goes berserk. NZ 346/9 after 100 overs, lead by 181 runs

Boult smashes Ashwin for a six over his head. Dances down the track and fearlessly smashes Ashwin. He has moved to 30 runs off 18 balls. India cannot believe this contribution from the No. 11. NZ 341/9 after 99 overs, lead by 176 runs

Unbelievable scenes as Trent Boult is smacking Ishant around for runs. Takes a double after playing it to third man. Scampers across the width of the pitch while running. Almost ran into Ishant there. He then smashes Ishant with brute force down the ground for four runs. And there's a four off the fourth ball of the over as well. Boult is also making a sound everytime he hits a shot! Virat Kohli cannot believe what he is seeing. He has his hands raised in the air in disbelief. The Boult comedy act has to be seen to be believed. NZ 334/9 after 98 overs, lead by 169 runs

The Boult drama continues! He steps out to Ashwin and smashes him down the pitch. Placed that well. Ajaz Patel plays a few more conventional strokes to see out the Ashwin over. Lunch not taken yet. Surely not much more time will be afforded to the Boult drama before Lunch is taken unless Ishant can take his wicket in this over. NZ 323/9 after 97 overs, lead by 158 runs