Live Cricket Score - New Zealand vs India, 1st Test

Stumps - India 144/4, trail New Zealand by 39 runs

Trent Boult and Tim Southee ransacked India's top-order to leave them in a precarious position at the end of the third day's play in Wellington, after the hosts were buoyed by the addition of valuable lower-order runs earlier in the day.

After conceding a first-innings lead of 183, India suffered early through another failure for Prithvi Shaw. A revival from thereon was on the cards with Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal in the middle, but it lasted exactly until the end of the second session - with Pujara falling on the very last ball. New Zealand bowlers turned the screws further in the final session to leave India on 144 for 4 at Stumps, still behind by 39 runs.

Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Viharibatted out the last 118 deliveries together for the 31 runs they added - defying multiple short-ball ploys, Boult's late inswingers, Williamson's funky fields and the shadow halfway through the pitch late into the evening.

India's fate in this fixture now hinges on how well this pair continues to stonewall the hosts on Day 4.

Slow and steady India

Kohli's wicket pushed India into a hole, with Rahane at the other end of it, tasked once again with bailing them out. He has found company in Hanuma Vihari, who was very recently termed as the find of an overseas tour by the Indian captain himself. They've put on a defiant front against New Zealand's probing quicks, happily playing out over after over for very little in return. Imperative for India to head to the end of the day's play without any further damage.

Boult strikes!

India are in all sorts of trouble here. After a probing opening phase from Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee, that Kohli negotiated out of, Kane Williamson went to Colin de Grandhomme and Trent Boult. The senior pro came around the stumps against Kohli, started off with a full length and then unfurled a short ball angled in to Kohli. The Indian captain was not entirely in control of the pull he attempted, and ended up edging to Watling behind the stumps.

Mayank is gone!

His mini-battle with Southee has ended in a defeat here. Southee resorted to the around the wicket angle, and kept bowling short with a forward short leg in place. Mayank ducked and pulled equally, but was undone by a fuller ball down the leg side. He looked to flick it away but ended up getting caught behind. Aleem Dar felt he heard the noise so sided with the fielding side on appeal, but Mayank deliberated until the very end of the DRS timer and reviewed it. The third umpire stayed with Dar's decision based on the spike he saw on the snickometer. Mayank goes for 58.

Early luck for Kohli

Tim Southee has his hand on his heads and wry smile on. First, the Indian captain drove away from his body (Yes, New Zealand bowled at a fifth stump line to him), and did it uppishly through cover. And then he tried to flick one on the leg side, but ended up outside edging it past the first slip fielder. Kohli looks a bit shaky here.

Boult strikes...

.... on the last ball of the session! Oh Pujara, what have you done! The No.3 batsman had done all the hard work in a superb partnership with Mayank - full of caution and restrain - but he ended up shouldering his arms to a ball that Boult delivered from around the stumps. It pitched on the fourth stump line and swung back in to crash onto the off-stump, sending Pujara back for 11. More importantly, New Zealand had India at two down heading into the Tea break. Big, big session coming up. Over to Mayank Agarwal and Virat Kohli - who has struggled for runs on this tour.

Fifty for Mayank

Excellent stuff from the Indian opener. He's been very smart with his approach to his innings today, cautious against the the late swing that Boult managed and the awkward bounce of Jamieson, and then taking on Colin de Grandhomme who bowled all over the place.

Three catchers for Pujara

That's an innovative field placement from Kane Williamson. He has three catchers at the short cover region for Pujara, with Colin de Grandhomme offering up medium pace on driving length. This could get interesting.

An update on Tom Blundell: He will not field today as he rests his left shoulder which he hurt diving in the field on day one. Blundell will be further assessed after play today and tomorrow morning.As the injury is considered an external blow he can return to the match at any time.