New Zealand 142 for 5 (de Grandhomme 8*, Watling 0*, Shami 2-45) trail India 242 by 100 runs

India began day two needing a big effort to stay alive in the Christchurch Test, but by the end of the first session they had sensationally pulled ahead of New Zealand with five wickets for just 79 runs. They had bowled 23 overs without a wicket on the first evening, but they refused to die, bowling with accuracy, venom and enjoying appreciable seam movement off the surface. At lunch New Zealand trailed by 100 runs with five wickets in hand, with their last recognised pair in the middle.

India's pumped-up leader Virat Kohli lived every moment, giving a send-off to Kane Williamson, giving it back to the crowd, taking a sensational catch diving forward at slip and then taking offence at the batsman waiting for replays to confirm the catch was clean. He could afford to be so pumped up of course because his bowlers gave him their best collective session of the series.

The first half hour was a torrid examination from Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, who took out Tom Blundell and Williamson respectively. Mohammed Shami began too short once again, but stayed economical long enough to get a long spell during which he corrected his lengths and took two wickets.

Quite unlike regular New Zealand conditions, the pitch had become spicier on day two compared to day one. It got quicker, and offered consistent seam movement - just the conditions the Indian quicks love. So, while they didn't quite get into the 5m full zone that you need to target in New Zealand, they gave nothing away. When Yadav did bowl that full ball, he found Blundell hanging back, and the seam movement back in trapped him lbw. All the seam movement drew a mental error from Williamson, who defended at a widish ball from Bumrah, which didn't move back as much as he expected it to. Kohli, looking away from his team, evidently let out a Hindi expletive but didn't get in the personal space of the batsman.

Ross Taylor and Tom Latham batted with better intent, and they saw New Zealand through to drinks comfortably enough. They added 40 in little over 10 overs, but Taylor perished trying to dominate the weak link on paper, Ravindra Jadeja. Just after drinks, he stepped out to Jadeja in premeditated fashion, and didn't have a bail-out option when Jadeja pulled the length back. Yadav then took an amazing catch running back from point and despite over-running the ball a little.

Latham was at the heart of New Zealand's resistance, showing excellent judgement and restraint, and punishing the really loose balls. He kept leaving on length, drawing excited cries from India, but the ball always sailed over the stumps. That would draw the odd half-volley, which he took toll of, bringing up his half-century. However, he too made a mental error of leaving a full ball, losing his off stump, bringing Shami his first wicket. That ended a 21-run stand between Latham and Henry Nicholls, bringing real jitters into the dressing room.

Kohli was not done yet. Minutes before lunch, he dived forward to a dying edge to send back Nicholls. One angle showed him getting his fingers underneath the ball while another raised suspicion, which meant it was fair to go with the on-field soft signal of out. Nicholls had pushed at a wide short-of-a-length delivery, which will annoy him.