Watch cricket video highlights of New Zealand tour of India 2024. Third test between India and New Zealand. Venue of the match will be Wankhede.
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India’s new and veteran batsmen combined to leave New Zealand on 143 for 9 in their attempt to avoid their first-ever home whitewash in a series of three or more Tests. It wasn’t going to be an easy objective on a field that had taken 29 wickets in two days, but it was a response to the agony of the closing 10 minutes of the first day, which was reminiscent of previous collapses in the series. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant rejuvenated the innings with 90s and 60s, respectively.
But it needed Washington Sundar’s cameo of 38 off 36 to push India’s advantage above 25 in the face of a resurgent Ajaz Patel, who bagged his second five-for in his birth city. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja then combined to take seven wickets, preventing New Zealand from setting India a big total on a collapsing surface. After losing his role as the new-ball bowler to Washington in the second innings, Ashwin was important in sending Jadeja to the right end and taking his maiden wicket with a wonderful catch sprinting back.
However, a composed Will Young’s second fifty of the match and Glenn Phillips’ striking ensured that New Zealand had more than the bare minimum to bowl against. India was turning to the youngsters at the start of the day, after losing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for cheap. Pant and Gill contributed 96 at more than five per over to put an end to the rot that had begun on the first evening. Pant, in particular, was strict, not allowing lead spinner Ajaz to bowl at all. Overnight 1 off 1, Pant got right to work.
Ajaz was too full on the opening ball of the day, which Pant sent clean past mid-off, who shifted deeper after the boundary. Pant went out for the second ball and smashed it clean past deep mid-off, who had now shifted to long-off. Gill followed up with an inside-out chip over extra cover in Ajaz’s following over. Pant then played the lap shot for four to move the front short leg to behind square, giving what could have been catches for the forward short leg with the next two balls.
Pant’s offensive approach had forced New Zealand to choose between the two zones to man. Pant scored two sixes in Ajaz’s following two overs. Gill did not want to get left behind. He attempted to hit Phillips’ opening pitch of the day for a six, but instead skyed it to long-on, where replacement fielder Mark Chapman saved him. This turned his innings around. He then placed his head down and accepted just the bounds that were offered. He was 45 off 57 when he was dropped, with the remaining 45 coming off 89 balls.
Matt Henry also dropped Pant, but his error cost New Zealand only seven runs as Pant went lbw to a short ball from Ish Sodhi, who came on to bowl with only 84 runs in the bank. Phillips, the unfortunate bowler, was certainly the most consistent of the three and played a key role when Ajaz rediscovered his stride after lunch, bowling 8.4-2-27-3. Ajaz having discovered the optimal length, the pitch began to misbehave even more, and the results followed. More than 10 overs passed without a boundary, resulting in the dismissals of Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan, the latter for a duck at home.
They both collapsed to the forward defense without reaching the ball’s pitch. Gill determined he would not be a sitting duck. He increased his intent by confronting Phillips. However, Ajaz ultimately got one to spin from a decent length and take the edge for another catch by Daryl Mitchell at slip. India was still eight behind. Washington took over, hitting 14 in a 20-run stand with R Ashwin and all 16 runs in the penultimate stand with Akash Deep to push the advantage above 25.
Washington was given a boost of confidence when he began the bowling ahead of Ashwin, but it was Akash Deep’s around-the-wicket angle and seam action that eliminated another left-hand opener. India then used a mix of Washington and Ashwin, who both took a wicket, Devon Conway on forward defence, and Rachin Ravindra, who was stumped while attempting to smash a six. Once the two right-handed hitters, Young and Mitchell, entered the game, all eyes were on Jadeja. Ashwin offered to have Jadeja bowl from his end, where Jadeja and Ajaz had previously taken wickets from.
Rohit, however, wanted Ashwin to continue bowling. The partnership grew, ends were moved, and Jadeja got Mitchell out with more than just a helping hand from Ashwin, who returned from mid-on to make a diving catch. Tom Blundell didn’t last long, but Phillips smashed three sixes in quick succession, two of them off Ashwin, who eventually pulled out the carrom ball from his back pocket and knocked back the off stump.
It was surprising that top-order Test batsmen were not picking up the carrom ball: even the experienced and relaxed Young was caught and bowled for one. Henry and Ajaz both blasted sixes, but Henry was bowled by an unplayable Jadeja ball, which proved to be the last of the day.
