Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three early wickets to leave New Zealand on the brink on Day 4. The off-spinner became the fast Indian bowler and the second-fastest in the history of Test cricket to complete the milestone of 200 Test wickets.
Ashwin completed the feat in his 37th match, bettering Harbhajan Singh's record, who took 46 matches to take 200 wickets. Ashwin is the second fastest in the world to 200 Test wickets behind Australian Clarrie Grimmett, who reached the landmark in 36 matches.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Kanpur on Sunday.
India set New Zealand an improbable 434-run victory target and then blew away the visitors' top order in Sunday's final session to close in on a resounding win in the first Test.
Resuming day four on 159 for one, India's positive batting over two sessions yielded 218 runs before home captain Virat Kohli declared on 377 for five at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium.
Needing to pull off the biggest successful chase in the history of Test cricket for an unlikely win, New Zealand wobbled early and were reeling at 93 for four at stumps, still trailing the massive target by 341.
Luke Ronchi (38) and Mitchell Santner (eight) will return on Monday hoping to resist or at least delay India's victory march in the first match of the three-Test series.
Ravichandran Ashwin (3-68), who dismissed four frontline Kiwi batsmen in the first innings, proved once again why he is considered India's premier spinner.
The off-spinner had Martin Guptill caught at silly point for a duck with the first ball of his second over and trapped Tom Latham (two) leg before with the fifth.
Ashwin claimed his 200th Test wicket when he dismissed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (25) leg before.
Ross Taylor (17) then ran himself out to compound the tourists' misery.
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja smashed unbeaten half-centuries before India declared their second innings on 377 for five, setting New Zealand a daunting 434-run victory target in the first Test on Sunday.
Resuming day four on 159-1, India's top order batsman failed to build on good starts against New Zealand's three-pronged spin attack at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium as the tourists asserted some early pressure.
Ajinkya Rahane's (40) cameo and the unbroken century stand between Sharma and Jadeja, however, ensured New Zealand will have to post the highest fourth innings total in Test history for an improbable victory.
Rather predictably, Kane Williamson attacked with spin from both ends when India resumed on 159-1 and the slow bowlers, thriving on a fourth day surface, did not let the New Zealand skipper down.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner earned the breakthrough when he trapped Murali Vijay leg before wicket for 76, ending the right-hander's second century-plus stand of the match with Cheteshwar Pujara (78).
Virat Kohli did not look comfortable against Santner but it was off-spinner Mark Craig who dismissed the Indian skipper when he attempted a slog-sweep that found Ish Sodhi at deep midwicket.
Sodhi struck the next blow with a beauty of a delivery that spun from outside leg, took the outside edge of Pujara's bat and nestled into Ross Taylor's waiting hands in the slip.
Rahane missed his fifty but Sharma went on to complete his half-century and remained not out on 68.
Jadeja, who scored 42 not out in the first innings and claimed five wickets with his left-arm spin, continued to have a good match.
The southpaw clobbered three sixes en route to his second Test fifty before breaking into a bat-twirling celebration.
