Mumbai, India's hopes of averting a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home for the first time rest on Rishabh Pant after he suffered another batting collapse, struggling to reach 92 for 6 in pursuit of 147 on the third day of the final Test against New Zealand here on Sunday.

The home team needs another 55 runs to register a consolation win after already losing the three-match series.

In another inexplicable collapse, India lost five wickets for just 16 runs after New Zealand folded for 174, giving the hosts 147 to win on a spin-friendly pitch that remained largely docile in the morning session.

Ravindra Jadeja had claimed the final wicket of Ajaz Patel, completing his second five-for and 10 wicket of the match.

At lunch, Pant put up a one-on-one 53-ball battle with seven fours and a six, but not 50, and has Washington Sundar for company on 6.

Once again, Pant took the lead and saved India's blushes with a knock that kept the game in suspense, unleashing his rich arsenal of shots to keep his team in the game.

But in another miserable defeat at home, India's star batting line-up produced arguably their worst performance in recent memory.

India's shocking and inexplicable decline began with skipper Rohit Sharma's mistaken attempt to play his signature pull shot against Matt Henry on a delivery that was barely waist high.

As soon as Rohit's top edge went up, Henry burst into celebration, knowing that the ball was heading towards Glenn Phillips – one of the best fielders – who ran after it from midwicket to take a great catch.

After a great 146-ball 90, Shubman Gill hit a ball thrown by Ajaz Patel on the shoulder, expecting the ball to turn away, but the ball straightened up and hit his off-stump.

He again marched to the ground with the bat on his shoulder, perhaps to exude confidence, but Virat Kohli failed to reach the height of a floating delivery that brought the edge of his bat to first slip.

From the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal had witnessed some of that capitulation and he too became part of it when he was beaten for a leg by Phillips.

Sarfaraz Khan made a deliberate sweep shot on the first ball for the second time in the Test and also paid a heavy price for it, top-edging it for Rachin Ravindra to come inside from deep square-leg for a pair for the Batter completed.

Jadeja played second fiddle in a 42-run partnership with Pant to take India closer to their target, but the all-rounder was caught brilliantly at short leg by Will Young off Patel.

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