3rd Test
Day-1 Evening Session Highlights:
New Zealand team has fight back with late wickets on a rollercoaster day
At The Stumps of Day-1:
New Zealand scored 235 (1st Innings), where as India scored 86/4 (1st Innings).
So, finally New Zealand lead by 149 runs.
India lost three wickets for just eight runs towards the close of play, allowing New Zealand to finish the first day of the final Test in Mumbai on top.
India were comfortably placed at 78/1 with Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) and Shubman Gill (31*) in control, cruising towards stumps.
However, Jaiswal’s audacious reverse sweep off Ajaz Patel gave the spinner his first wicket of the match, triggering a dramatic collapse in the final moments of the day.
Nightwatchman Mohammed Siraj failed in his role, trapped LBW by Patel, and compounded the setback by burning a review before walking off the field.
The home side’s misery continued when Virat Kohli was run out after misjudging a single to mid-on.
Matt Henry’s direct hit left Kohli well short of his ground, capping a disastrous finish to India’s innings as they stumbled to 86/4 at stumps.
Earlier, New Zealand had opted to bat and posted a middling total after some disciplined bowling by India.
The Wankhede surface provided some bounce and subtle movement in the morning, before offering significant assistance to the spinners in the afternoon.
Daryl Mitchell (82) and Will Young (71) were the standout contributors for New Zealand, playing solidly through the session despite losing wickets at key moments.
Their 87-run stand was pivotal, coming after Washington Sundar had claimed two quick wickets, removing Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra.
Sundar (4-81) was India’s top performer in the morning session, while Ravindra Jadeja (5-65) took over in the afternoon, claiming key wickets, including that of Young.
New Zealand’s collapse was swift and severe, losing their last seven wickets for just 76 runs, with Jadeja and Sundar wreaking havoc.
Jadeja’s five-wicket haul saw him break into the top-five for most Test wickets by an Indian, surpassing Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
With no Mitchell Santner in the New Zealand ranks, India’s batters seemed more at ease against the spinners.
Rohit Sharma fell early to Matt Henry, but Jaiswal and Gill formed a steady partnership.
Had they remained together until stumps, India could have been in a dominant position.
However, Jaiswal’s untimely dismissal led to a mini-collapse, leaving New Zealand with the upper hand at the end of Day 1.
With conditions likely to get more challenging, India will need a strong first innings score, and the stage is set for an exciting second day.
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