India made a confident start to Day 3, picking four wickets in the first 15 overs of Friday to pin New Zealand to 233 for seven in the opening Test of the three-match series. But just when it looked India, who were bowled out for a forgettable 46 in the first innings on Thursday, looked to gain a slight advantage by restricting the visitors to a lead below 200, they were left frustrated by a triple-figure eighth-wicket stand as the hosts incurred an 11-year low.

Daryl Mitchell was the first batter to depart, with Mohammed Siraj taking the wicket in the fifth over of the day, before Jasprit Bumrah struck once, and Ravindra Jadeja twice to leave New Zealand under pressure in the match, where the opening day was washed out due to rain in Bengaluru.

However, after negating early pressure from the spinners, former captain Tim Southee served as an able assistant to Rachin Ravindra as the pair stitched an unbeaten 112-run stand for the eighth wicket at Lunch. Ravindra smashed his second career century as he became the first New Zealand batter to the triple-figure mark since Ross Taylor's knock of 113 at the same venue in 2012.

With the century stand on the back of a brilliant counter-attacking show that saw the two batters smash 58 runs in the final four overs before Lunch in Day 3, New Zealand took their lead to 299 runs, their highest-ever against India. On the contrary, it was the highest lead India conceded at home in the last 15 years. The two other instances were 334 by Sri Lanka in 2009 and 418 by South Africa in 2008, both in Ahmedabad. India did not bounce back to win any of those games. They lost the second, but drew the second. They also lost the only other instance of conceding a 200-plus lead at home - against England (207) in Eden Gardens in 2012.

As former India head coach Ravi Shastri revealed the concerning numbers live on-air, the cameraman caught a dispirited Gautam Gambhir in the Indian dugout. The India head coach was seen clutching his head in disappointment as the lead soared past 200 and then almost touched 300 at lunch.

New Zealand aim for a 36-year first

New Zealand have not won a Test match in India since their 136-run victory at the Wankhede in 1988. It was only their second win on Indian soil, which came after 19 years, the previous being in Nagpur in 1969. While New Zealand will be aiming for a 36-year first in India, the hosts will be hoping to avoid a loss in a bid to guarantee a ticket to the World Test Championship final by the end of this three-match series.

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