Ravindra and Southee go all out to extend New Zealand's advantage

Lunch in New Zealand: Ravindra shines with unbeaten 104 as Southee provides solid support at 49* At lunch, New Zealand is leading India with a commanding 299-run advantage, thanks to Ravindra's impressive inning and Southee's contribution. Jadeja picked up 3 important wickets for India, but the hosts are in a strong position heading into the next session.

India kept themselves in the Test with some relentless bowling for a little over 90 minutes, but Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee blew them away in the last 45 before lunch. India took four wickets for the addition of just 53 runs, but Ravindra and Southee then added an unbeaten 112 for the eighth wicket, currently the second-quickest partnership of 100-plus against India, to go to lunch with a lead of 299 runs. Ravindra raced away to his second Test century, and second international hundred in the city of his roots.

When you get bowled out for 46 and start the day 134 behind with seven wickets still to take, you need everything to go your way. After a loosener first ball, the fast-bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah kept New Zealand honest with accurate bowling and slight nibble each way. They picked up a wicket each before Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry batted in a manner suggesting panic and lack of confidence in their defence.

Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee bashed it to all parts before the new ball was available

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However, Southee, 89 Test sixes to his name and with a penchant for taking a swing, batted with composure to keep Ravindra company. Ravindra kept trusting his partner despite the previous two batters missing straight balls on middle stump. There was a time in the partnership when Southee had faced 16 of the 19 balls. However, Southee managed to survive, refusing to throw his bat at it.

Ravindra kept growing in confidence, hardly ever getting caught on the crease, either playing right back or meeting the ball on the half-volley. From the start of the 70th over to end of the 80th, he motored along from 48 off 87 to 104 off 125. He resumed the day on 22 off 34, took the boundary off the full ball from Siraj first ball, and then respected the good bowling even as Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell offered an outside edge each to the two quicks.

Phillips swung like there was no tomorrow, got a six, but offered a free passage to a full straight ball from Jadeja. Henry managed two fours before losing his middle stump to Jadeja. Southee started off circumspect, but managed to survive.

In the 70th over, Ravindra skipped down to Kuldeep Yadav to loft him back over his head to get to his fifty. This is when he felt good about it and started to push his intent. A second four in the over took the lead past 200. Then Kuldeep overpitched to Southee for another four. He had been 4 off 18 then.

Glenn Phillips hit a big one down the ground in his short stay

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BCCI

Under attack from the moment he started bowling on day two, R Ashwin offered a full toss in his first over of the day, which Ravindra deposited over midwicket for a six. The floodgates had well and truly been opened. Ravindra was now messing with the lengths of the bowlers while Southee waited 39 balls to attempt his first six, nailing an overpitched delivery from Ashwin, whose figures at lunch read 16-1-94-1.

India started to now wait for the new ball, but pretty quickly they were just slowing the game down to be able to go back and regroup during lunch. They didn't even take the new ball when it became available. The one extra over bowled with the old ball before lunch went for four overthrows and Southee's 92nd six, which took him past Virender Sehwag on all-time six-hitters' list. Only five men remain ahead of him.

The session, though, belonged to Ravindra, who took his time before taking the game to the spinners.