Washington Sundar made his mark on his return to the side, posting a seven-wicket haul to frustrate New Zealand on day one of the second Test.

India look to have quickly put last week's defeat behind them as they made a statement with a strong start.

Ravichandran Ashwin took the first three wickets (3-64), though Devon Conway's knock of 76 had already pushed the tourists to 138-3 before Sundar (7-59) stepped up to the plate.

Rachin Ravindra's 65 almost got them over the 200 mark, before he was bowled by Sundar, who then proceeded to take the next six wickets, with only Daryl Mitchell (18) and Mitchell Santner (33) hitting double figures as New Zealand were limited to 259 inside 80 overs.

However, India's day at the bat did not get off to a good start as Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck.

They reached stumps at 16-1, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (6 not out) and Shubman Gill (10 not out) will be hoping to kick on when they resume play on Friday.

Data Debrief: Washington in charge

Sundar was not even a part of India's Test squad three days ago, but the choice to bring him in has proven inspired.

It was his maiden Test five-for, and his best figures in first-class cricket, as he dismissed the last of New Zealand's batters within 20 overs.

Meanwhile, Jaiswal only needs to get 17 more runs on day two to become just the second batter to reach 1,000 runs in men's Tests in 2024 after Joe Root (1,300 runs).

Sikandar Raza admitted "the wheels are coming off again" for Zimbabwe after India took the lead in their five-match T20I series.

After losing the first match, India are now 2-1 up in the series after three games having held out for a 23-run victory on Wednesday.

Shubman Gill settled straight back in after returning to the squad following their World Cup success, hitting 66 off 49 balls to set India on their way.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (49) also finding their rhythm early on, India set an impressive target of 182-4.

Zimbabwe struggled in the field but also got off to a slow start with the bat until Dion Myers entered the fray, getting 65 not out to give the hosts some hope.

Washington Sundar's three wickets soon put a halt to their comeback as they fell short.

Raza was left to lament a frustrating game but was optimistic they could get back to their best.

"Think [the problem] is the fielding again," Raza said. "We are very proud of it, but the wheels are coming off again.

"We gave away 20 runs extra. We still have problems at the top [with the bat], but we are backing the boys. I know they are trying and once they do, we will come good again.

"It is time we players including me take the responsibility. I can accept some mistakes from the young side, but the seniors need to step up. But we need to back them.

"This is the best we have and this is the best that we can do. The game always rewards you, always does."

The fourth match will take place on Saturday, and a win for India would confirm their series win.

Data Debrief: India just too strong

Gll sped to his half-century in just 36 balls, earning his first 50 as India's T20I captain.

Despite their strong batting display, India were also the beneficiaries of 31 runs after Zimbabwe struggled to take their chances out on the field. The eventual win margin for India: 23.