Mumbai: India reached 195/5 to trail New Zealand by 40 runs at lunch on day two of the third and final Test here on Saturday.
Resuming at their overnight score of 86/4, Rishabh Pant (60) played a counter-attacking innings and raced to his fifty, while Shubman Gill (70 not out) also scored a half century.
New Zealand were guilty of dropping a couple of catches but Ish Sodhi found the breakthrough for the tourists when he trapped Pant leg before in the 38th over.
New Zealand had scored 235 in their first innings.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 1st inning 235 all out in 65.4.1 overs (Daryl Mitchell 82, Will Young 71; Ravindra Jadeja 5/65, Washington Sundar 4/81)
India 1st innings: 195 for 5 in 43 overs (Shubman Gill 70 not out, Rishabh Pant 60; Ajaz Patel 2/76)