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Fifties from Gill and Rishabh Pant helped India establish a slender lead over the visitors, before coming up with a strong bowling performance to limit the NZ second innings to 171 for the loss of 9 wickets at Stumps on Day 2 as the spinner…Read More
India’s Ravindra Jadeja, second left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi during the second day of the third cricket test match between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, India, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.(AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Team India turned the third and final Test against New Zealand on its head with a solid performance on the second day of the fixture at the hallowed Wankhede pitch on Saturday to move into a position of advantage in the game.
India, who looked in trouble after a calamitous stretch of play to conclude the opening day of the final Test against the Kiwis on Friday, hit back through fifties from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to establish a slender lead over the visitors, before coming up with a strong bowling performance to limit the NZ second innings to 171 for the loss of 9 wickets at Stumps on Day 2.
Gill and Pant produced fine innings as they added 90 and 60 runs respectively to help navigate the 149-run lead the Kiwis held at the end of play on Day 1, before Pant fell to Ish Sodhi as the spinner trapped the southpaw plump in front of the wickets.
Glenn Phillips removed Ravindra Jadeja for 14 runs before Sarfaraz Khan was sent back to the hut for a duck by Ajaz Patel.
Patel then brought an end to Gill’s fighting innings of 90 runs, before scalping Ravichandran Ashwin for 6 runs to complete his five-wicket haul.
Akash Deep was caught short of his crease by Rachin Ravindra as the Kiwis bundled out the Indian first inning for 263 runs as the hosts posted a lead of 28 runs.
Akash Deep gave the Indians a quick start to the second innings as he got rid of Tom Lathan for just 1 run in the first over of the innings as he castled the Kiwi skipper.
Washington Sundar removed Devon Conway for 22 runs a brief while before Ravichandran Ashwin sent Ravindra back to the hut for 4 runs off 3 deliveries.
Ashwin popped up with a stunning catch at long-on to dismiss Daryll Mitchell for 21 runs, as he broke the 50-run stand between Mitchell and Will Young.
Jadeja dismissed NZ wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell for 4 runs before Ashwin struck again to send Glenn Phillips back to the hut for 26 runs. The wily left-arm spinner picked up his third wicket of the innings with the scalp of Ish Sodhi for 8 runs before Ashwin added his third victim with a caught and bowled to get rid of Young, who had added 51 runs before being asked to walk back to the dugout.
Jadeja ended the day with four wickets to his name as he clipped the top of the off-stump to castle Matt Henry for 10 runs before the umpire decided he had seen enough action for the day.
