India-New Zealand Test Series: Spin maestro
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Will Young made half-centuries in energy-sapping conditions but the tourists were restricted to 235 by Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket haul before India slumped to 86/4 on the first day of the third Test.
Shubman Gill was batting on 31 while Rishabh Pant was not out on one at stumps after India had come back into the game with Jadeja claiming 5/65 and Washington Sundar bagging 4/81.
Rohit Sharma was unable to make the most of being dropped early on and the out-of-form India skipper fell for 18, before Ajaz Patel bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal for 30 and trapped Mohammed Siraj lbw for a duck with the next ball.
Virat Kohli then ran himself out for four while attempting a needless single to hand the advantage back to New Zealand in the final 15 minutes.
“It was quite unexpected,” said Jadeja. “But sometimes miscommunication and misjudgement can happen. We have tomorrow and the batsmen that are left will need to build small partnerships and take the score past 235. That will be our gameplan.”
14 Five-wicket hauls for Ravindra Jadeja in Tests. Jadeja is sixth in the list of most five-wicket hauls by Indians, equalling the great Bishan Singh Bedi
314 Jadeja is now fifth in the list of top wicket-takers in Tests for India, going past Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. Only Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh have more wickets
Taking a five-wicket haul for India in Test cricket is always special. I felt good that I got wickets
when the team needed a breakthrough. It wasn’t easy to bowl in the heat. The batsmen that are left will need to build small partnerships and take the score past 235. That will be our gameplan. Ravindra Jadeja
Oppressive heat
Mitchell top-scored for the Black Caps with 82 and Young made 71 as the tourists endured oppressive heat and humidity at the Wankhede Stadium to lay a decent foundation in their quest to win the finale and sweep the series.
Young notched his half-century by hitting Washington out of the ground after lunch and looked well set for a maiden ton only to fall against the run of play, edging Jadeja to slip.
After ending the 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Jadeja claimed another victim in the same over by castling Tom Blundell for a three-ball duck, but Mitchell steadied the ship with a gutsy knock despite cramps.
Glenn Phillips fell for 17 before tea as Jadeja bowled him out with a straighter ball and the spinner got rid of Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry immediately after the break for his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests.
“Taking a five-wicket haul for India in Test cricket is always special,” Jadeja said. “I felt good that I got wickets when the team needed a breakthrough. It wasn’t easy to bowl in the heat. But we did well as a team.”
With New Zealand reduced to 210/8, a refreshed Mitchell hit Washington for a couple of massive sixes but departed thanks to a diving catch by Rohit. Washington sent back Patel for seven to end the Black Caps’ innings.
Early success
Tom Latham won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat earlier but it was India who enjoyed early success, paceman Akash Deep trapping Devon Conway lbw for four inside the opening half hour when there was plenty of variable bounce.
India wasted little time introducing spin to take advantage of the tricky conditions but New Zealand rose to the challenge with Young lofting Ravichandran Ashwin for a big six over long on in the 15th over. Washington then struck from the other end by bowling out Latham for 28 and Rachin Ravindra for five with almost identical deliveries that straightened slightly before going past the bat. — Reuters
Scoreboard
New Zealand 1st Innings
T Latham b Sundar 28
D Conway lbw b Akash 4
W Young c Sharma b Jadeja 71
R Ravindra b Sundar 5
D Mitchell c Sharma b Sundar 82
T Blundell b Jadeja 0
G Phillips b Jadeja 17
I Sodhi lbw b Jadeja 7
M Henry b Jadeja 0
A Patel lbw b Sundar 7
W O’Rourke not out 1
Extras: (b 1, lb 3, nb 9) 13
Total: (All out, 65.4 overs) 235
FOW: 1-15, 2-59, 3-72, 4-159, 5-159, 6-187, 7-210, 8-210, 9-228
Bowling O M R W
Mohammed Siraj 6 0 16 0
Akash Deep 5 0 22 1
Ravichandran Ashwin 14 0 47 0
Washington Sundar 18.4 2 81 4
Ravindra Jadeja 22 1 65 5
India 1st Innings
Y Jaiswal b Patel 30
R Sharma c Latham b Henry 18
S Gill not out 31
M Siraj lbw b Patel 0
V Kohli run out (Henry) 4
R Pant not out 1
Extras: (nb 2) 2
Total: (4 wickets, 19 overs) 86
FOW: 1-25, 2-78, 3-78, 4-84
Bowling O M R W
Matt Henry 5 1 15 1
William O’Rourke 2 1 5 0
Ajaz Patel 7 1 33 2
Glenn Phillips 4 0 25 0
Rachin Ravindra 1 0 8 0
Five minutes of mayhem
India went from 78/1 to 84/4 in five minutes, losing three wickets in eight legal balls. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was bowled trying a reverse sweep, nightwatcher Mohammed Siraj was caught lbw and Virat Kohli was run-out going for a needless single with stumps approaching. BCCI
Never imagined we would lose series in India, says Jadeja
The last time India lost a Test series at home a dozen years back, Ravindra Jadeja had made his Test debut and perhaps in this journey of 77 long-form games he also felt a sense of invincibility while competing in the whites.
After his 14th five-for in Tests, Jadeja admitted that his worst fear of losing a series at home came true. “Firstly, I had this fear… We won 18 series (at home), I thought as long as I am playing Test cricket in India we won’t lose a series but that has happened, so I am not surprised with anything,” Jadeja said. “We have set the expectations really high. In the last 12 years, we did not lose a single series and we lost a total of five Test matches in which I played. I think this is a good achievement but when you set such high expectations and lose a series, it stands out and that is what is happening.”
The veteran all-rounder conceded that Indian players will have to collectively shoulder the responsibility for the series loss. “When we win, we lift the trophy together. Now that we have lost the series, all 15 in the team will take the blame collectively,” he said. PTI
