Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha helped India seize the initiative on the opening morning of the second Test against New Zealand, taking 2-24 as the visitors reached 3-108 at lunch, thanks chiefly to Martin Guptill’s fluent half-century.

At the break at Chinnaswany Stadium, captain Ross Taylor – after winning the toss – was not out 27 and Daniel Flynn was on seven.

Zaheer Khan secured the initial breakthrough, trapping Brendon McCullum in front for a duck without a run on the Black Caps’ scorecard.

Ojha, who shared the opening bowling with Zaheer despite India fielding two pacemen, bagged the important wickets of Kane Williamson and a well-set Guptill to justify captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s persistence with him.

Ojha had Williamson leg-before wicket for 17 and followed it up with the dismissal of Guptill, who was caught by Gautam Gambhir at mid-wicket for 53.

New Zealand, who lost the first Test at Hyderabad by an innings and 115 runs, are trying to avoid a second successive 2-0 series loss after having lost both Tests on the recent tour of the West Indies.