Images from Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Saturday.
India's much-vaunted batting line-up struggled to decode the "big riddle" called Kyle Jamieson while their bowlers found new batting sensation Devon Conway a difficult customer as New Zealand finished the third day in the World Test Championship final, in Southampton, in a strong position, on Sunday.
Jamieson's second five-wicket haul against India in three Tests had Virat Kohli's men shot out for 217 in overcast conditions.
In reply, New Zealand were 101 for two at stumps, as Conway (54 off 152 balls) scored his third successive Test half-century before flicking one off Ishant Sharma to Mohammed Shami shortly before the close of play.
Jamieson decimated India with excellent figures of 22-12-31-5 and generous help from the relentless Neil Wagner (15-5-40-2) and crafty duo of Tim Southee (22-6-64-1) and Trent Boult (21.1-4-47-2).
Head coach Ravi Shastri won't be one bit amused, but the sequence of scores of India’s batting against New Zealand's seam attack in last five innings has been less than 250 -- 165, 191, 242, 124, and now 217.
When New Zealand batted, Conway and the ever-stodgy Tom Latham (30 off 104) put on 70 runs, blunting India's sharp new ball attack.
Shami (0/19 in 11 overs) presented a nice seam position but without much success, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/20 in 12 overs) got appreciable drift and dip to dismiss Tom Latham for 30.
The left-handed opener went for a drive through the covers but hit it uppishly and was taken by Virat Kohli, as New Zealand lost their first wicket in the 35th over.
Ishant the got the big wicket of Conway, who flicked the fourth delivery from the bowler uppishly and was caught by Shami, who stretched to his left at mid-on, after a good innings of 54.
It was a timely wicket for India late on the third day to check New Zealand's progress.
The umpires checked for light before calling for stumps on Day 3.
Morning session
Earlier, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane perished to well-executed plans by New Zealand’s pace attack, leaving India at 211 for 7 at lunch.
India scored 65 runs in the first session but lost four wickets.
The overcast conditions made batting difficult and the likes of Kyle Jamieson (20-12-26-3), Trent Boult (20-4-46-1) and Neil Wagner (15-5-40-2) indulged in a 'who blinks first' game with the Indian batsmen and came out trumps with some incisive seam, swing and short-pitched bowling.
Kohli (44, 132 balls) was unable to add to his overnight score as his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Jamieson kept him guessing from the start.
Having shown admirable patience in leaving every delivery outside the off-stump on Day 2, he was ready to dig deep again. Boult and Jamieson kept bowling outside the off-stump channel but he kept leaving the ball before the 6 feet 8 inch Jamieson went slightly wide off the crease and got one racing into the batsman's boots to give the Kiwis an early breakthrough.
Kohli was adjudged leg before wicket. He had a chat with Rahane before deciding to review the decision.
The bowler went fuller with the length, got the ball to come in sharply and Kohli, caught on the crease, was beaten by the movement. There was no bat involved and the impact was in line, the ball going on to hit leg stump and Kohli had to make his way back.
He was dismissed for a 44 off 132 balls as India lost their fourth wicket.
Rishabh Pant (4) went without a run for 19 deliveries before he got a boundary with a flick through mid-wicket. Two balls later, he bit the bait when Jamieson angled one on the imaginary fifth off-stump. He went for an expansive drive and Tom Latham took a sharp catch, diving to his right, at third slip.
It was was a poor shot from the youngster who batted patiently till then. He needlessly attacked a wide out-swinger without any footwork and paid the price.
Once the 61-run stand with Kohli ended, Rahane (49, 119 balls) sensed that the scoreboard needed a move on and started playing a few shots.
Perhaps, the half-century milestone was playing on his mind and he mistimed a pull-shot before Neil Wagner, with his signature short ball, prevented him from registering what would have been a well-deserved fifty.
Rahane's disappointment was evident as he fell into the trap and played the pull-shot despite knowing that Wagner had kept a deep fine leg and long leg for the shot.
His pull did not have the elevation as Wagner hurried him into it, with the ball climbing on him sharply, and Latham took a simple catch at mid-wicket.
Ravichandran Ashwin (22, 27 balls) threw his bat around and got some useful runs but was never going to last long as Tim Southee (22-6-64-1) took care of him just before the lunch break.
Post-Lunch session
Kyle Jamieson continued his love affair with the Indian team, tormenting the star-studded batting line-up with disconcerting bounce and swing, as New Zealand dismissed the opposition for 217 in the first innings.
Jamieson decimated India to return marvellous figures of 22-12-31-5 as New Zealand took control of the Test, reaching 36 for no loss at tea.
Openers Devon Conway (batting 18) and Tom Latham (batting 17) negotiated the Indian pace attack pretty well.
However, it was Jamieson, after last year's series in New Zealand, who again tormented the Indian batsmen. Having removed Rohit Sharma on Saturday morning, he was relentless with his length, and the bounce did the rest with clever traps laid for skipper Virat Kohli and the dangerous Rishabh Pant.
Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane walked into a nicely laid traps as India failed to post 250, a good total in the prevailing conditions as per batting coach Vikram Rathour.
The overcast conditions made batting difficult and the likes of Jamieson, Trent Boult (21.1-4-47-2) and Neil Wagner (15-5-40-2) held sway.
After the lunch break, Jamieson removed Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah off successive deliveries but Mohammed Shami prevented him from completing a hat-trick.
Jamieson squared up Ishant as the batsman tried to defend and ended up getting an edge, which was taken by Ross Taylor at first slip.
Ishant walked back after scoring 4 as India lost their eighth wicket.
Jamieson completed a five-wicket haul, trapping new-man Bumrah leg before wicket for a first-ball duck. The full delivery came in sharply and Bumrah was struck in front of the stumps.
But Shami denied him the hat-trick in some style, playing a beautiful drive through the covers for a four to get off the mark.
After a long delay of nearly six minutes with the sightscreen, Boult ended India's first innings with the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja.
The left-hander, who scored 15, was caught down the leg side by Walting off Boult and India were bowled out for 217 in their first innings.
