Day 1 of the 3rd Test between India and New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium witnessed New Zealand establishing a significant first-innings advantage, concluding their innings at 235 all out. This performance showcased their resilience despite a rocky start. In response, India struggled under pressure, finishing the day at 86/4, leaving them trailing by 149 runs.
New Zealand’s batting: A mixed bag of resilience and frustration
New Zealand’s innings began on shaky ground, losing Devon Conway for just 4 runs, bowled by Akash Deep. Captain Tom Latham followed soon after, contributing 28 runs before falling to Washington Sundar. However, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings, forming a resilient partnership that looked to put New Zealand in a strong position. Young’s patient 71 off 138 balls laid the groundwork, while Mitchell’s aggressive 82 off 129 provided much-needed momentum. Their contributions helped New Zealand reach a total of 235 runs, although they struggled against the spin of the Indian bowlers as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar: Spin kings at work
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were instrumental in dismantling New Zealand’s batting lineup. Jadeja’s exceptional spell saw him claim five wickets for 65 runs, showcasing his ability to extract turn and bounce from the pitch. His wickets included key batter like Young and Tom Blundell, as he consistently applied pressure and forced errors. Sundar, too, was impressive, taking four wickets and helping to break crucial partnerships. Together, they exploited the conditions beautifully, ensuring that New Zealand could not settle and ultimately restricting them to 235 runs.
Also WATCH: Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket masterclass destroys New Zealand on Day 1 of the 3rd Test
India’s response: Promising start dashed by quick wickets
In response, India began their innings with hope and ambition, looking to go past New Zealand’s modest first innings total. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma opened the batting, but India faced a tumultuous period early on. After a bright start, scoring 25 runs, Rohit was dismissed for 18, caught by Latham off Matt Henry’s bowling. Soon after, Jaiswal fell for 30, leaving India at a precarious 78 for 2. The situation worsened when Mohammed Siraj fell for a duck just moments later, leaving India reeling at 78 for 3. Virat Kohli’s run-out added to the turmoil, reducing India to 86 for 4 at the end of the day, with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant at the crease, desperately trying to stabilize the innings.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Over the moon for my favourite cricketer, Jadeja. ☺️
A fifer! He needed that! And so did the team. 👏👏👏— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 1, 2024
Jadeja has 5-65, but with some luck that could have been 7-30 or something.
This is probably the best he has bowled in Test cricket in 2024.
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) November 1, 2024
Murali Kartik. Michael Clarke. Ajaz Patel. Ravi Jadeja.
Wankhade and left-arm spinners, a love story for the ages!
— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) November 1, 2024
Classic Jadeja spell.
So happy he has been able to use his pace better.
Very happy for him to take five here! 👏
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) November 1, 2024
Washington Sundar bowling like a dream this series 🤯 The amount of drift he gets and the length he pitches possibly big factors (no data for this, just guessing) in him getting a lot of these dismissals. #INDvsNZ
— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) November 1, 2024
Amidst a disappointing home test series for India, the one bright spot has been Washington Sundar. Most pundits and fans were shocked at his selection. But when we look back at it after a decade, we’ll realise that this selection was the beginning of a wonderful succession.
— Zucker Doctor (@DoctorLFC) November 1, 2024
🌟 What a performance by Washington Sundar against New Zealand! 🌟 His all-round skills are shining, and he’s proving to be a game-changer. Could Sundar be the next Ashwin? The consistency, the versatility—he’s making a strong case! #INDvNZ #sundar pic.twitter.com/eP0JBkO6Vy
— Aniket Pawar (@Aniketpawar_18) November 1, 2024
New Zealand’s spinners, worryingly, not showing anywhere near enough control so far.
— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) November 1, 2024
Very good, Washi 👏🏼👏🏼
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) November 1, 2024
This Indian batting lineup makes a part-time spinner like Ajaz Patel look like peak Daniel Vettori! 10 bucks say they fold for 150 again! Absolute rubbish captaincy & team management to add on to that #INDvNZ
— Nomadic Lives | Sanket D. (@NomadicLives) November 1, 2024
Two poor decisions at the end of the day have taken the sheen off what was a good day for India.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 1, 2024
Stumps on the opening day of the Third Test in Mumbai.#TeamIndia move to 86/4 in the 1st innings, trail by 149 runs.
See you tomorrow for Day 2 action
Scorecard – https://t.co/KNIvTEyxU7#INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/ppQj8ZBGzz
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2024
Also WATCH: Akash Deep traps Devon Conway LBW with a sharp inswinger in 3rd IND vs NZ Test
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