Continuing with his superb form, Cheteshwar Pujara cracked an unbeaten 101 as India declared their second innings at 216 for three to set New Zealand a massive 475-run target on day four of the third and final cricket Test, here today.
India declared soon after Pujara struck James Neesham for his ninth four to reach his eighth Test century and pressed earnestly for the victory by sending back opener Tom Latham (6), who was trapped by Umesh Yadav.
At tea, New Zealand were 38 for one, with opener Martin Guptill (8) and captain Kane Williamson (23) at the crease on a wearing Holkar Stadium pitch.
New Zealand need 337 more runs to win the game with four sessions remaining.
Opener Gautam Gambhir also notched up 50, his first half century since 2012 against England at Kolkata, and also raised 75-run stand with Pujara for second wicket.
Captain Virat Kohli, who made a career-best 211 in the first innings, was dismissed for 17 while the other first innings centurion Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on 23 to add to the excellent 188 he made in the first innings.
Jeetan Patel picked up 2 for 56 while Murali Vijay was run out for 19.
It was expected that India would look to get some quick runs for an early declaration but overnight batsmen Vijay and Pujara started batting in a sedate manner.
Vijay looked a bit more attacking than his partner after resuming at 11 in a team total of 18. He survived when his flick off Matt Henry could not be taken by James Neesham at deep mid-wicket as the fielder dropped the ball back into the playing area while he himself crossed the boundary line.
Vijay was however run out soon afterwards due to a misunderstanding with partner Pujara who first responded to the call for a sharp single to short covers but then sent the former back.
India added just 30 runs in the first hour in 14 overs even as Gambhir joined Pujara to resume his interrupted innings yesterday. He had left the field after suffering a shoulder injury when he dived to save himself from a runout.
Gambhir, on 6 when he retired hurt, rotated the strike well by taking sharp singles.
The duo also put away the occasional bad ball for more runs, including boundary hits, among which was a smashing straight hit by Pujara off left-arm paceman Trent Boult to bring up the fifty of the stand as the scoring rate picked up.
The second fifty of the innings was raised in quicker time than the first with the 100 coming in 27 overs.
(REOPENS DEL 38)
They both completed their half centuries and Pujara had overtaken his second wicket partner before the break with positive stroke-play while the latter opened out to smack left arm spinner Zafar Ansari for a couple of sixes over long on.
The Decision Review System, riled all along by the Indian cricket board before they agreed to its usage in a home Test rubber for the first time, came to local star Pujara's rescue half an hour before tea.
Umpire Chris Gaffaney upheld the appeal from the bowler Zafar Ansari after Pujara, on 86, was rapped on the back leg, playing down the wrong line while defending.
The two batsmen after a short consultation asked for DRS and the replayed ball-tracker system found the ball going just over the stumps to give Pujara and India a big reprieve much to the delight of the crowd that included his wife and father.
Earlier, the home team were 162 for one at lunch. Vijay was unconquered on 57 while Pujara was on 62.
The lone batsman to be dismissed before lunch was left-handed opener Gambhir, who fell in the second over to Broad, after which Vijay and Pujara held fort till the end of the second session.
Vijay and Gambhir had started well last evening to put on an unfinished half century stand, but the latter departed early today after adding just one to his overnight 28, to the seventh ball of the day.
The left-handed batsman, on a comeback trail after being in the wilderness for more than two years, was trapped right in front of the stumps by Broad with the first ball of his morning spell.
