Chasing 407 in the first Test, India were 87 for one at stumps with two days left in the match. Bowlers dominated the day’s proceeding in Auckland with as many as 17 wickets falling through the day. After India’s first innings ended for the addition of 72 runs to the overnight total at the cost of six wickets in the morning, New Zealand capitulated for 105 runs. Although they had wrapped up the hosts second innings in 41.2 overs, India faced a stiff target in the Auckland Test. But with an opportunity to turn things around in their favour, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan took guard in the third session. However, with just 36 runs on the board, Vijay was caught behind off Tim Southee. Dhawan who had been dropped in the second over while still on a single-digit score, then worked with Pujara to build a partnership. The pair chipped away at the target as the afternoon progressed to keep the visitors in contention. With the match precariously poised Dhawan was batting on 49 with Pujara on 22 at the end of day’s play. Earlier, wickets fell like a house of cards at the Eden Park. A whopping 10 wickets fell in the morning session after an early start to the day’s play. In the first part of the morning, India caved in for 202. Southee and Trent Boult utilised the morning conditions and swung the ball to keep the batsmen on their toes. Ajinkya Rahane was the first to depart edging Southee to Ross Taylor. With the 87-run partnership coming to end, MS Dhoni took guard opposite Rohit Sharma. The Rohit-Rahane pair could not build on the hard work they had put in the previous day to stabilise the innings. A Boult delivery took the inside edge of Rohit's bat and hit the top of the middle-stump as the batsman tried to push at the ball. Seven overs later, Corey Anderson introduced into the attack, took the edge of Dhoni’s bat but misjudgment by the wicketkeeper moving away from the ball gave Dhoni a life and India four runs. However, in the next over a Neil Wagner delivery brushed past Dhoni’s bat and was caught comfortably by BJ Watling. Four overs later, Wagner accounted for Zaheer Khan who top-edged the ball to the keeper. In the following over Ishant Sharma perished taking the aerial route while Wagner took the edge of Mohammed Shami’s bat and was caught by Peter Fulton in the slips in the next. With three wickets in three overs and Ravindra Jadeja stranded on 30, India’s first outing in the Auckland Test came to an end. Despite a 301-run lead, New Zealand did not enforce the follow on and were left tottering on 15 for four at lunch. Shami sent back both the openers to leave the Kiwis on nine for the loss of two wickets at the end of the third over. Hamish Rutherford was trapped leg-before for duck while Fulton hit the ball to Jadeja at short cover in the pacer’s next. Zaheer Khan who dried up the flow of runs from the other end followed up with the all important wicket of Kane Williamson. Jadeja dived to his right at short midwicket to take the catch and send back the No 3 Kiwi batsman. With the team reeling on 11 for three, Brendon McCullum joined Taylor in the middle. But, after being let off by Murali Vijay in the slips in Zaheer’s next over, the NZ captain ran himself out trying to squeeze in a second run just before lunch. With a lead of 316 runs, Anderson came out to bat with Taylor. Shami continued to bowl a probing line and asked questions off the batsmen. Watling and Taylor worked to stitch together a partnership for a little over 17 overs. Edges flew and some fell just short of the fielders as the pair battled it out in the middle. With the partnership worth 38, Taylor cut a short wide delivery from Zaheer but a brilliant catch by Rahane at gully removed the middle-order batsman. 15 runs later, Southee was dismissed, hitting Jadeja to Pujara at short midwicket in the over before tea. With NZ lineup struggling on 78 for seven, tea was called. The hosts’ woes continued as Ishant dealt a double blow in the over after tea. The second ball of the over stayed low, took the inside edge of the bat and crashed into Watling’s stumps. And two balls later, Rohit caught the ball at his waist as it nicked Ish Sodhi’s willow en route to second slip. Living dangerously, Wagner and Boult stretched the innings for 33 balls and added 25 runs until Wagner was out. Both the batsman survived as stumping opportunities were missed while they stepped out to Jadeja. But in the following over Wagner who had been swinging at the ball pulled at an Ishant delivery to Jadeja, who took a running catch to wrap-up the NZ innings with the lead on 406.