IND vs NZ, 3rd Test, Day 2, Highlights: Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin share 7 wickets as India take 9 wickets on Day 2.
Brief Score: IND 263 (Shubman Gill 90, Rishabh Pant 60, Ajaz Patel 5/103) trails NZ 235 & 171/9 (Will Young 51, Glenn Phillips 26, Ravindra Jadeja 4/52) by 143 runs.
On the day when things happened quickly, New Zealand led India by 143 runs in the second innings with a wicket remaining. Earlier in the day, fifties from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant propelled India to a 28-run lead, with Ajaz Patel taking his second five-wicket haul at this venue in as many games for the visitors.
Talking Points:Â India had a great day with the bat as well as ball
After two consecutive Tests of lackluster display, team India’s batting showed signs of returning to normalcy. On a tough batting wicket, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant revived India’s innings with their counter-attacking stand of 96 runs before Sundar’s cameo, which gave India a small upper hand in terms of lead.
Their bowlers stepped up to the plate, not allowing the visitors to run away with the game. Nine of their second innings wickets were taken by Ashwin, who had a disappointing series thus. Ashwin bowled beautifully by three wickets and complemented Jadeja very well.
India reduces the first-innings deficit courtesy of the Gill-Pant stand
After a torrid end to Day 1 for the hosts, where they lost three wickets, the onus fell on India’s overnight batters, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, to stabilize the innings. The young duo, especially Pant, took the game by horns as he looked to dominate the proceedings by attacking the Kiwi spinners.
The pair brought up their 50-run stand in just 56 balls, with the left-hander scoring 34. Both reached their respective half-centuries, and the first hour alone yielded 77 runs for India. Things slowed as the visitors bowled better, and Ish Sodhi eventually broke the outstanding 96-run fifth-wicket stand. The hosts added 109 runs in the session, still adrift of NZ total by 40 runs.
Read More: IND vs NZ, 3rd Test, Day 1: Jadeja-Sundar limit NZ to 235; India throw away advantage, end at 86-4
India gets into the lead, but Ajaz Patel induces a lower-order collapse
After a great morning session, India let their advantage slip by losing wickets at regular intervals after the lunch break. Glenn Phillips, the off-spinner, got rid of Ravindra Jadeja for 14 before Ajaz Patel got into the act by scalping the wickets of Sarfaraz Khan (0), Shubman Gill (90), and Ravichandran Ashwin (6) in rather quick succession.
The home team endured another batting collapse as they got reduced from a comfortable 180/4 to getting bowled out for 263. Sundar’s fighting knock of 38 gave them a slender lead of 28 runs.
In their second innings, New Zealand suffered an early jolt, losing skipper Tom Latham in the very first over. The game was evenly poised, as the visitors went to Tea at 26/1.
New Zealand’s lead surges past 100 even as India spinners make inroads
On a vicious turning surface, New Zealand batters aimed to put pressure back on India by playing attacking cricket in the final session. While Sundar sent back Conway early after Tea, Ashwin got his first wicket of the match in the form of Rachin Ravindra.
Will Young and Daryll Mitchell manage to revive New Zealand’s second innings with a 50-run stand for the fourth wicket? When they threatened to take the game away, Ashwin made a brilliant catch to see Mitchell’s back.
The spin duo of Ashwin & Jadeja bowled well in tandem, picking seven wickets between them. Despite this, runs came thick and fast for the Kiwis, who made 145 runs in the session.
Read More: Current form of Rohit, Virat raises questions ahead of Australia tour
Statistical analysis from India vs New Zealand, Third Test, Day 2
- The 5th wicket stand of 96 runs between Pant & Gill is the third-fastest for any wicket for India in Tests played at Wankhede Stadium.
- Shubman Gill has crossed the 800-run mark in the calendar year 2024. He now scored 805 runs at an average of 50.31 with three centuries.
- Gill’s 90 is his second fifty-plus versus the Kiwis’ and the third time he has gotten out in the nineties in Test cricket.
- Rishabh Pant took 36Â deliveries to register his second Test half-century against New Zealand.
- Ajaz Patel records his sixth five-wicket haul, second against India and second at Wankhede.
- Ajaz Patel now has the second-highest wickets at a single Indian venue against India with 19 scalps at Wankhede from 2 games. Richie Benaud had 18 wickets at Eden Gardens from 2 games. Ian Botham scored the highest 22 scores from 2 games at Wankhede.
- Will Young (51) scored his second half-century of the Test match.
- Ravindra Jadeja (9/117) registered his best match haul against NZ in Tests.
What’s Next
On what should be the final day of this riveting Test series, India will hope they wrap this innings soon and chase it down to salvage pride. On the other hand, New Zealand would fancy their chances to put India under pressure in the fourth innings and complete a rare whitewash.
Read More: What made New Zealand the side that jinxed India’s proud home record?
