IND vs NZ: India the most dominant home test team didn’t look themselves in the recent series against New Zealand, where they faltered on their own strengths. Likes of great batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have not had any success in the series.
The story of the Third test at Wankhede didn’t seem very different, as India lost the series owing to their dismaying performance so far in the series. The Kiwis didn’t play their man of the match from the second test, Mitchell Santner, as Ish Sodhi was the new addition to the squad.
Indian bowlers again did a fairly good job, as Washington Sundar with a four-for and later Ravindra Jadeja with another stunning five-for broke the back of the Kiwi batting order. Bowling them out for 235 runs in the first innings, India was also in grave danger at the end of Day 1.
India started off well with Jaiswal and Gill stirring hope after a positive start despite the early wicket of the skipper. However, the last 10 minutes seemed like a storm of disappointment for the Indians.
Jaiswal bowled out in an attempt to reverse sweep a ball, while Mohammad Siraj the night watchman went back for a golden duck after having wasted a review. Virat Kohli was run out in an attempt to steal a quick single to short mid-on.
India ended Day 1 trembling at 84/4. Day 2 began on a strong note, as Indian batters Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant dominated the Kiwi spinners.
Pant put his leg onto the accelerator as Gill added semblance to their innings. Pant was out after having made a quickfire 36-ball fifty, in one of the most unconvincing fashions.
Likes of Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravi Ashwin could not manifest much as Gill also fell having scored a great 90 runs, a standing ovation from the Wankhede crowd for his master innings under these circumstances.
Sundar scored some quick runs towards the back end, as India took their first-ever first-innings lead in the series. India all-out for 263, took a 28-run lead over the visitors. Akash Deep strikes early in the first over, as he gets rid of the Kiwi skipper in the second innings.
