IND vs NZ: Axar Patel picks fifth fifer in four Tests

He opened his account with veteran Ross Taylor's wicket early in the day, before adding to his tally the prized scalps of Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell and Tim Southee.

Axar Patel of India celebrates the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Blundell with teammates.

India left-arm spinner Axar Patel on Saturday registered his fifth five-wicket haul in only his fourth Test match against New Zealand at the Green Park in Kanpur.

He opened his account with veteran Ross Taylor's wicket early in the day, before adding to his tally the prized scalps of Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell and Tim Southee.

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While Taylor departed, caught behind off a slow turner, Nicholls missed a sweep to get trapped leg before. He then went on to clean Southee and Blundell up after getting Latham stumped on 95 by stand-in 'keeper KS Bharat with a cunning, shorter delivery.

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He now has the joint second most five-fors in an individual's first four Tests alongside Englishman Tom Richardson and Australia's Rodney Hogg. Charlie Turner of Australia leads the charts with six fifers in his first four Test matches.