The hosts trailed New Zealand by 149 runs at the close of a fast-paced day one at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where the pitch has offered turn to the spinners.
Shubman Gill (31*) and Rishabh Pant (one not out) were batting at stumps after New Zealand’s Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel struck twice in two balls.
He bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal for 30 while attempting a reverse sweep, and then India’s ploy of sending a nightwatchman failed as Mohammed Siraj fell, trapped lbw.
But New Zealand’s biggest celebration came when a direct throw from Matt Henry ran out Virat Kohli for four.
Captain Rohit Sharma was the first to go, when he edged a delivery from pace bowler Henry to be caught at second slip for 18.
The left-handed Jaiswal and Gill put on 53 to resist the opposition spinners, but Patel broke through with left-arm orthodox.
New Zealand batsmen Will Young made 71 and Daryl Mitchell 82 after the tourists elected to bat first in a bid to sweep the series.
Jadeja bagged 5-65 with his left-arm spin. Off-spinner Sundar took four – including the final two batsmen, Mitchell and Patel – to wrap up the innings in 65.4 overs in the final session.
Mitchell, who reached his fifty before tea, attempted to anchor the innings after an 87-run fourth-wicket stand with Young before Sundar got him out.
Mitchell needed regular drinks as he seemed exhausted by the heat and humidity during his 129-ball knock, which included three fours and three sixes.
Jadeja struck regular blows and took two wickets in one over twice in the innings, to register his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Young reached his fifty soon after lunch with a straight six off Sundar.
Jadeja eventually got Young caught at slip and struck again in the space of four deliveries, when wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was bowled for a duck.
Devon Conway was out for four before New Zealand captain Tom Latham, who made 28, and Young attempted to steady the innings in a partnership of 44 for the second wicket.
Off-spinner Sundar came around the wicket to dismiss the left-handed Latham, who came forward to defend a delivery that pitched and straightened to rattle the off-stump.
Sundar again brought the crowd to their feet when he bowled left-handed Rachin Ravindra – who leads the batting charts in the series with 252 runs – for five.
The Black Caps sealed a first Test series triumph on Indian soil last week with victory in the second match in Pune.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: BCCI
