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Bangalore: Off-spinner R Ashwin scalped 5 wickets as New Zealand managed an overall lead of 244 after an absorbing day's play to leave second Test against India interestingly poised.
After conceding a slender 12-run lead, Ashwin snared five for 69 to restrict New Zealand to 232 for nine on an action-packed third day which saw as many as 14 wickets fall at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
India will now look to wrap up the innings as quickly as possible and push for a 2-0 series win with two full days still left in the match.
Useful contributions from the middle-order helped the visitors in their endeavour to put up a defendable total as Ashwin didn't let the Black Caps take a runaway lead.
Ashwin got rid of Kruger van Wyk, James Franklin and Tim Southee in quick succession before Pragyan Ojha dismissed Bracewell to peg back the visitors.
The burly Tamil Nadu offie began post-tea session by claiming Daniel Flynn's wicket soon after tea for 31 (65 balls 4s-6) caught at first slip by Virender Sehwag while trying to run the ball down to third man.
Pacer Umesh Yadav also gave able support to Ashwin by providing two vital breakthroughs sending back openers Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum in the post-lunch
Yadav claimed the wickets of openers Brendon McCullum (23) and Martin Guptill (7) while spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha took the wickets of Kane Williamson (13) and captain Ross Taylor (35) respectively as New Zealand reached 123 for four at the tea break on the third day.
Daniel Flynn and James Franklin were batting on 25 and 11 respectively. The visitors have taken a 135-run lead with six second innings wickets in hand.
Yadav gave the much needed breakthrough to India when he removed both openers soon after the lunch break. Ojha and Ashwin continued the good work by picking up one wicket each.
Resuming at the lunch score of 29 for no loss, New Zealand lost both their openers quickly. Yadav gave the vital breakthrough for India by pitching the ball up instead of hitting the deck which hardly helped him take wickets consistently in the series so far.
The Indian pacer bowled a low full toss at Martin Guptill (7) who got an inside edge before hitting his leg stump. Brendon McCullum poked at Yadav's away going delivery and gave a comfortable catch to keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Tottering at 31 for two, New Zealand skipper and first innings centurion Ross Taylor straightaway survived a loud LBW appeal, but the ball clearly missed leg stump.
Soon a rejoicing moment came his way when he punched Yadav at covers for a couple of runs and became the 12th New Zealand player to achieve the feat of reaching 3,000 Test runs
Earlier, New Zealand returned refreshed in the morning, with the new ball due in two overs; MS Dhoni welcomed it with a four, hitting straight past the bowler, Boult, to cross fifty. Kohli got to his century, his second in Test cricket, off the last ball of the same over, flicking one off his pads to the square-leg fence.
The new ball gave him shape and swing, and was to produce four wickets in three successive overs. Tim Southee (7-64) takes the wickets of Kohli and Dhoni, both leg before. These were Southee's best bowling figures in an innings and took him past 50 Test wickets. The remaining India batsmen could put together 70 runs this morning, after being five down overnight, it was only because of a handy tenth-wicket partnership of 33 between R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav.
Brief scores
New Zealand 365 (Taylor 113, van Wyk 71, Guptill 53, Ojha 5-90) & 232 for 9 (Ashwin 5-69)
India 353 (Kohli 103, Dhoni 62, Raina 55, Southee 7-64)
Status New Zealand lead by 244 runs
