India vs New Zealand Live Score: Day 2, Session 2 in a nutshell

Akash Deep made the early breakthrough after India fought hard to gain a slender first innings lead against New Zealand, with the visitors reaching 26/1 at tea on day two of the final Test in Mumbai on Saturday.

The New Zealand Trail India consists of two runs.

India, who were bowled out for 263 in reply to New Zealand's 235, took a 28-run lead after Shubman Gill (90) missed his century and Ajaz Patel (5/103) found his best to take another five-for .

Akash provided the rare sight of a pacer disturbing a batsman's furniture on a turning track when he dismantled Tom Latham's (1) off and middle stumps in the first over.

But Will Young (8 not out) and Devon Conway (15 not out) did well to thwart India's challenge and ensure no further damage was done.

Earlier, given the misery of their batting line-up, India's remarkable progress suffered a major blow with the dismissal of Rishabh Pant (60) towards the end of the morning session, the impact of which was clearly felt when play resumed after lunch.

From Pant's dismissal in the 38th over to India's eventual fold in the 60th, the team managed eight fours and two sixes – the wicketkeeper-batsman alone hit as many in his brisk half-century earlier.

Patel, who found the right length, was rewarded as the New Zealand spinner scored another fiver at the Wankhede Stadium, extending his world record of 10/119 in the first innings of the 2021 Test.

After 180 for five, India were bowled out for 263, with Gill missing his record score while others continued to disappoint.

Perhaps there was no greater disappointment than seeing Sarfaraz Khan look like a fish out of water during his four-ball contest, failing to open his account on his home ground where he had at times plundered runs for fun.

Unable to calculate the length of his first ball, Sarfaraz, in his pomp, hit a mighty swing against Patel, but was defeated by the bounce and turn on the next ball. He might have fallen on the third ball as it bounced off his glove, but there was no stupid sense in that.

But he had to go back when the bounce and spin saw the ball land in the gloves of goalkeeper Tom Blundell after he kissed the shoulder of his stick.

Gill, who made no mistakes in his 146-ball stay with seven fours and a six – the longest by any batsman in the Test – was also among Patel's victims that day as the Mumbai-born Kiwi spinner beat him to the first Slip after that caught a nice blow.

Ravindra Jadeja (14) was also caught at first slip, albeit ahead of Glenn Phillips, as Washington Sundar waged a one-on-one battle among the three all-rounders, scoring a brisk 36-ball 38 with four boundaries and two sixes.