New Zealand's Henry Nicholls plays a shot during day three of their second test against India. Photo / AP
New Zealand's Henry Nicholls plays a shot during day three of their second test against India. Photo / AP
Another historic day for Ajaz Patel was not enough to prevent India from edging closer to a crushing second-test victory in Mumbai.
Patel picked up four more wickets to go with the perfect 10 he took in the first innings as India declared on 276-7 midway through the third day.
That gave the hosts a commanding 539-run lead and, in the half hour before tea, Tom Latham was dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin for six.
Will Young (20) and Ross Taylor (six) departed quickly after tea, but Daryl Mitchell (60) and Henry Nicholls (36 not out) added 73 for the fourth wicket to wrestle back some respectability and send the test to the fourth day.
Mitchell fell in the final hour though, as did Tom Blundell, run out for a duck in a shocking mix-up, leaving the Black Caps at 140-5, a whopping 400 runs away from victory and staring down the barrel of one of their largest defeats.
India have left the Black Caps in a tangle after three days of the second test. Photo / AP
The series will almost certainly belong to India but, in an unceasing schedule of international cricket, few will remember their 1-0 triumph once the next fixtures begin.
After snaring four scalps on day one and completing the full first-innings set with six more on day two, Patel's one-man show rolled on during day three.
His four wickets gave him overall figures of 14-225, leaving him behind only Sir Richard Hadlee's 15-123 against Australia in 1985 as the second-best match analysis by a New Zealand bowler.
Patel's performance also counted as the best in tests against India - overtaking Ian Botham's 13-wicket haul in 1980 - which would have been impossible for him to imagine when growing up in Mumbai.
Ajaz Patel finished with 14 wickets. Photo / Photosport
Although the spinner would have preferred his production lead to a different outcome, that was never likely after New Zealand, in reply to 325, had been skittled for 62 on day two.
India had the match essentially won when they reached stumps on 69-0, choosing to spend day three racking up time in the middle ahead of a series against South Africa.
That glorified batting practice at least presented Patel with the opportunity to add to his haul, one he seized before long.
At the risk of being repetitive Patel was the only New Zealand bowler to enjoy success in the first session, the 33-year-old continuing to feast on the home cooking while his teammates found it a little less palatable.
There were few signs of a comedown from his incredible high as Patel opened the bowling, sending down 12 consecutive overs while taking two more wickets.
Mayank Agarwal was the first to go, holing out to Will Young. Cheteshwar Pujara then gave Patel an even dozen, edging a low catch to Ross Taylor as the hosts advanced to lunch on 142-2.
Patel finally received a break from the bowling crease in the second session and, after 170 overs across both innings, another New Zealand bowler finally chipped in, Rachin Ravindra picking up his first test wickets to finish with 3-56.
New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, left, celebrates the dismissal of India's Virat Kohli with his teammates. Photo / AP
But Patel wouldn't stay out of the action for long, needing two balls upon his reintroduction to remove Shreyas Iyer before making Jayant Yadav his 14th and final victim.
