(Reuters) – Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant made entertaining half-centuries as India responded to New Zealand’s first innings total of 235 by reaching 195-5 at lunch on day two of the third and final test in Mumbai on Saturday.
Gill was batting on 70 with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on 10 after Pant was dismissed for 60 as India trailed the tourists by 40 runs on another sweltering day at the Wankhede Stadium.
A late collapse on Friday meant India resumed on 86-4, and Pant eased any early nerves by smashing spinner Ajaz Patel for three boundaries in the opening over before scooping one for four a little later.
Gill was handed a reprieve on 45 while looking to charge Glenn Phillips midway through the first session, when substitute Mark Chapman dropped a simple catch running in from the deep.
He then reached his seventh test half-century, as the Black Caps struggled to contain runs after missing a big chance to put pressure on the hosts.
Pant, who stepped out of his crease and hit Patel out of the park a couple of times and pulled Phillips for a four, then took a single to reach his fifty in only 36 balls, the fastest by an Indian against New Zealand.
Phillips was unfortunate to miss out again when Matt Henry dropped Pant on 53, but Ish Sodhi trapped the batsman lbw to end the fifth-wicket partnership for 96.
New Zealand won the opening match in Bengaluru by eight wickets for their first test victory in India in 36 years, and wrapped up the series in Pune with a 113-run win.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
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