India took a big step towards winning their first Test series in New Zealand since 1968 after taking a 233-run lead early in their second innings of the third Test here on Saturday.
India were on 51 for one at stumps on the second day after dismissing New Zealand for 197 in reply to the tourists' first innings total of 379.
Pace bowler Zaheer Khan did most of the damage to New Zealand, taking five for 65 with a mixture of swinging full pitched balls and a bunch of shorter deliveries.
Offspinner Harbhajan Singh was another of India's heroes, bowling 23 consecutive overs at a scoring rate of less than two an over to end with three for 43.
Wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's role, taking six catches behind the stumps to support his bowlers on a Basin Reserve pitch,which offered more bounce than the flat deck in the drawn second match in Napier.
The Kiwis had renewed confidence after drawing the second Test in the wake of their 10-wicket drubbing in the first match, but their plans were failed soon after their opening batsmen came to the crease.
There were only limited signs of resistance from New Zealand, mostly from Taylor before he was given out caught behind by umpire Daryl Harper.
An attempted leg glance off Harbhajan ended in Dhoni's gloves and Harper's finger went up. While replays suggested Taylor did not get bat on ball, the batsman admitted later he had got a faint nick.
Opening batsman Tim McIntosh made a scratchy 32 before he was surprised by a rising short ball from Khan, which ballooned off the top of his bat to Yuvraj Singh at first slip.
Soon after lunch, New Zealand found themselves struggling at 80-3 and many hopes rested on in form batsman Jesse Ryder, the hero of the second Test with a double century.
But due to his lack of concentration, he took a wild swipe at a short pitched Khan ball, sending a simple edge to Dhoni after scoring just three.
India extended their lead in their second innings with Gautam Gambhir unbeaten at stumps on 28 and Rahul Dravid not out on nine.
Typically aggressive opener Virender Sehwag was the only wicket to fall, caught by Taylor at first slip after a short ball from Chris Martin seamed into him and ballooned off his glove.
Sehwag hit two consecutive fours off Martin before falling for 12 off just seven balls.
On Friday India had recovered from 204 for six shortly after tea on the first day to reach 375 for nine at stumps.
But the final pairing of Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel could only add another four runs on Saturday morning.
Sharma fell to pace bowler Martin, who finished with four for 98 from his 25.1 overs.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings 379
S. Tendulkar 62, M.S. Dhoni 52, H. Singh 60,
Martin 4-98, O'Brien 2-89
New Zealand 1st innings
T. McIntosh c Y. Singh b Khan 32
M. Guptill b Khan 17
D. Flynn c Dhoni b Khan 2
R. Taylor c Dhoni b Harbhajan 42
J. Ryder c Dhoni b Khan 3
J. Franklin c Sehwag b Harhajan 15
B. McCullum c Dhoni b Harbhajan 24
D. Vettori c Dhoni b Sharma 11
T. Southee c and b Khan 16
I. O'Brien c Dhoni b Patel 19
C. Martin not out 4
Extras b9, lb3 12
Total for all out 197
Fall of wkts 1-21, 2-31, 3-80, 4-98, 5-120, 6-125, 7-138, 8-160, 9-181, 10-197
Bowling
Zaheer Khan 18-2-65-5, Sharma 14-3-47-1, Patel 8-2-20-1, Harbhajan Singh 23-4-43-3, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-10-0
India 2nd innings
G. Ghambir not out 28
V. Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12
R. Dravid not out 9
Extras lb2 2
Total for one wkt 51
Fall of wkt 1-14
Bowling
Southee 3-0-13-0, Martin 4-2-13-1, O'Brien 5-2-8-0, Franklin 3-0-15-0, Ryder 1-1-0-0
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