Carrying forward the momentum set by Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara, India with the help of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja's unbeaten 100-run stand for the 6th wicket, set a 434-run target for New Zealand on the fourth day of the first Test at the Green Park in Kanpur.
Putting up a stellar batting display, both Rohit (68 not out) and Jadeja (50 not out) went on to score half centuries before Virat Kohli declared the innings at 377/5.
Vijay (76), Pujara (78) and skipper Kohli (18) were the Indian batsmen to fall in the opening session.
Resuming the day at 159 for one, overnight batsmen Vijay and Pujara could manage to add only 26 runs to the score as Vijay was trapped lbw by spinner Mitchell Santner in the 57th over.
The left-arm spinner had set Vijay up with a big turning delivery, which he followed up with a slider that surprised Vijay, hitting him on his front pad on the off-stump line.
Incoming batsman Kohli, who was struggling from the beginning, was also sent back to the pavilion by Mark Craig in the 68th over. Both Pujara and Kohli together put on only 29 runs for the third wicket.
Three overs later, Pujara too was sent back to the pavilion when spinner Ish Sodhi pitched the ball outside the leg-stump line and made it spin across to get an outside edge off Pujara's bat.
For New Zealand, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner scalped two wickets each while Mark Craig took one wicket.
Brief score:
IND - 377-5, 318
NZ - 262, need 434 runs to win
