Virat Kohli double-ton hands India the advantage - India v New Zealand, 3rd Test, Indore, 2nd day

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When Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat on Saturday, he had said that the pitch in Indore would aid batsmen on the first two days of the Test. His prediction came true, as he slammed his second Test double-hundred and combined with Ajinkya Rahane to help India post a mammoth 557 for five in the first innings against New Zealand on Sunday.

The Kohli-Rahane combine added 365, which is India's highest-ever fourth wicket partnership, as they thwarted all attempts from New Zealand to break their stand. The tourists went wicketless for three sessions before Jeetan Patel finally broke through in the first over after tea.

Kohli, who has struggled to score freely through the series, began the day on 103. With the weight of runs behind him, Kohli found fluency on a surface where the ball occasionally kept low. When he reached the 150-run mark, just after lunch, his partner, Rahane, wasn't far behind on 124. Kohli's double hundred came from 347 balls and included 18 boundaries. He became the first Indian to make two double-hundreds as captain. He also became the first Indian since Sachin Tendulkar in 2010 to score two double-tons in a year.

Kohli eventually fell after tea for 211 as he looked to push the tempo further. Rahane fell shortly after 12-runs adrift from his double hundred. New Zealand's openers, Martin Guptill and Tom Latham, successfully negotiated nine overs and added 28 runs to their tally at stumps on day two. They'll face an uphill task on Monday as India's spinners will come to the fore on an ageing surface.

"The pitch has started to turn. Spinners will be handy, we just have to be patient and let the bowlers take care of it," Rahane said. "That partnership between us was crucial and memorable. It was great to see Virat bat the way he did, learnt a lot of things. He's improving as a batsman and a leader. It was very humid and we were tired after tea. We wanted to play shots, but it was tough."

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