India have ended day one of the second Test on 100-2, just 92 runs behind New Zealand, thanks to a dominant display in Wellington.
MS Dhoni elected to bowl after winning the toss in the morning and his side quickly made life difficult for the hosts, with Ishant Sharma making an early impact to help reduce New Zealand to 51-4 at lunch.
Sharma added to his three wickets in the first session by dismissing Corey Anderson (24) and BJ Watling (0) to claim his second five-wicket haul of the series.
Kane Williamson, who was twice reprieved after being caught off no-balls, made a stubborn 47 before being sent back inside by Mohammed Shami.
Tim Southee struck a run-a-ball 32 but he failed to stop the Indian charge after tea as Sharma finished with figures of 6-51 in an innings of 192.
New Zealand made an early breakthrough with the new ball when Southee caught Murali Vijay's outside edge to give Watling an easy catch behind the stumps.
Cheteshwar Pujara got the innings back on track with a partnership of 77 with Shikhar Dhawan but he failed to make it to the end of the day as Trent Boult trapped India's number three shortly before stumps.
Dhawan finished day one on 71* from 87 balls alongside nightwatchman Sharma, who will resume on 3 tomorrow.