Earlier in the day, Washington Sundar stole the show with a superb bowling performance that saw New Zealand bowl out 259. Sundar, playing his first match in the series, made an impact fastest by taking 7 wickets for just 59 runs. His strong effort, which included the dismissal of five players in a clean delivery, left the New Zealand team in disarray after a solid start to their top order. .

Devon Conway (62) and Rachin Ravindra (56) were the standouts for the Kiwis, providing the opposition with well-rounded fifties. However, Sundar's bowling turned the tide in India's favourpreventing New Zealand from spending money on their platforms and combining them for a modest total.

Sundar, who was included in the squad before the 2nd Test, returned to the playing XI with fire, making him absent from the first match. His spin, accuracy, and ability to draw Pune's pitch proved too much for the visiting side, overshadowing the contributions of Conway and Ravindra.

India now face the challenge of chasing down New Zealand's total with plenty of batting depth, but much depends on the partnership between Gill and Jaiswal as they take on New Zealand's spellbinding attack led by Southee.

Day 2 promises to be a tight contest, as India look to take control of the game while New Zealand look to exploit the situation and penetrate India's top order.