Lusty hitting revived New Zealand’s terrible start before an Ishant Sharma-inspired India knocked them over soon after tea on the first day of the second Test in Wellington.
The Black Caps were dismissed for 192 in the 53rd over after going to lunch at 4-51 and tea at 8-166, having been asked to bat first.
Lanky pace bowler Sharma took career-best figures of 6-51 from 17 taxing overs, eclipsing his 6-55 against the West Indies in Bridgetown three years ago.
The 25-year-old capitalised on the pace and bounce on offer after captain MS Dhoni won a crucial toss – his seventh from seven games on this tour.
Mohammed Shami was rewarded with his consistency, taking 4-70, while Zaheer Khan (0-57) was less effective.
They couldn’t match the potency of Sharma, who followed up superbly on his nine-wicket match return in a losing performance during last week’s first Test in Auckland.
New Zealand turned to aggression in the second session.
Allrounders Corey Anderson (24 off 43) and James Neesham (33 off 35) and paceman Tim Southee (32 off 32) swung freely to lift the score closer to respectability.
Kane Williamson’s 47 was the only innings of note from a top order sorely missing expectant father Ross Taylor.
Openers Peter Fulton (13) and Hamish Rutherford (12) continued their forgettable summer while debutant Tom Latham departed for an eight-ball duck as the hosts slumped to 3-26.
Brendon McCullum rounded out a dreadful session when caught driving lazily to mid-off for eight.
Anderson was starting to open his shoulders when Sharma had him caught from a ball that ballooned off his pads following an inside edge.
BJ Watling disappeared for a duck before Williamson and debutant Jimmy Neesham put on a lively 47 for the seventh wicket.
Neesham looked comfortable and fluent before he was caught behind off Shami, then Williamson’s at-times flukey stay was ended by a sharp low catch at second slip by Rohit Sharma.
Williamson was caught twice – on 15 and 23 – but received a lifeline on both occasions after replays showed Khan and Sharma respectively had bowled front-foot no balls.
Earlier, India named an unchanged team from the Auckland Test while the Black Caps introduced Latham and Neesham for Taylor and legspinner Ish Sodhi.
