India is hosting New Zealand for an exciting 3-match Test series, with the first Test taking place in Bangalore. Day 2 delivered a thrilling spectacle of Test cricket, as New Zealand stunned the Indian side by dismissing them for their third-lowest Test total. By the end of the day, New Zealand had established a significant lead. On Day 3, the visitors continued to build on their advantage, posting a formidable total while India fought back, showing resilience in their batting efforts to save the match. Here’s a detailed review of Day 3 of the India vs New Zealand Test.
India’s Brief Comeback to Begin the Day
New Zealand ended Day 2 with a lead of 134 runs, and on Day 3, Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra stepped onto the pitch with Mohammed Siraj starting the bowling for India. This session was crucial for India’s hopes of a comeback in the Test. It began with a boundary from Ravindra off an overpitched delivery from Siraj, but the innings soon faltered.
Siraj, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, bowled tightly, putting pressure on the New Zealand batters. Daryl Mitchell attempted to push one through the covers to break the shackles but ended up finding Yashasvi Jaiswal, who took a sharp catch, giving India their first breakthrough of the morning. Tom Blundell then walked in, but his innings lasted just 8 balls as Bumrah set him up perfectly, leading to an edge that was taken in the slips.
At this point, India was firmly back in the contest. After a brief spell of pace bowling, Rohit Sharma introduced spin with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. They bowled with precision, maintaining a stump-to-stump line. However, Glenn Phillips managed to break the shackles with a six before Jadeja delivered a stunning ball that crashed into the stumps, dismissing him. This brilliant bowling display from Jadeja reduced New Zealand to 222/5, putting India in a strong position to seize control of the match.
Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee Shock Indian Bowlers with Exceptional Batting
As Tim Southee walked to the crease, India's bowling strategy was clear: they needed to take more wickets, as New Zealand was running low on batters. The Indian bowlers targeted Southee effectively, but he patiently defended the balls, taking his time to settle in. Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra took center stage, anchoring the innings before shifting gears to aggressively attack the bowlers. He reached his half-century with ease, but soon Southee joined in, finding boundaries and adopting a different approach with the old ball. Their intent was unmistakable as both batters took on the spinners, and Rachin quickly brought up his century, celebrating in his hometown, especially meaningful given his father's roots in Bangalore.
Having already scored a World Cup century at this ground, he now added a Test century to his achievements. Rohit Sharma seemed reluctant to change the bowling attack, which New Zealand capitalized on, striking 58 runs in the last four overs before lunch. The first session concluded with New Zealand scoring 161 runs in 32 overs, showcasing a magnificent partnership between Rachin and Southee.
After the break, Bumrah began the attack with the second new ball, troubling Southee with tight lines and starting with three consecutive maidens. However, Southee responded brilliantly, smashing a four to bring up his half-century in style. New Zealand continued their aggressive batting, finding both sixes and fours, until Siraj finally broke the partnership with a clever back-of-the-hand slow ball that dismissed Southee. This ended a crucial 134-run partnership with Rachin, putting New Zealand in a commanding position.
Ajaz Patel came to the crease, but as the spinners began to take charge, New Zealand lost their last three wickets in quick succession. Rachin Ravindra fell last, attempting a slog sweep against Kuldeep Yadav and top-edging a catch to Dhruv Jurel. New Zealand’s innings wrapped up at 402 all out, giving them a substantial lead of 356 runs. Remarkably, this marked the first time since 2012 that India had conceded a first-innings lead of over 200 runs. New Zealand ended their innings on a high, highlighted by stellar performances from Rachin Ravindra (134), Devon Conway (91), and Tim Southee (65), while Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav each took three wickets for India.
India Takes First Steps Toward a Comeback
Team India faces a monumental challenge, trailing by 356 runs against a formidable New Zealand pace attack. Indian captain Rohit Sharma and young Yashasvi Jaiswal strode onto the field at a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. With the daunting task ahead, they approached the innings with composure as Tim Southee opened the attack with the new ball. Rohit displayed confidence in his stroke play, defending patiently while punishing loose deliveries for boundaries. Meanwhile, Jaiswal anchored the innings alongside him. The pair put together a solid 50-run partnership, ending session two at 64/0.
After the break, Jaiswal started to pick up the pace but, in his ambition, fell to Ajaz Patel. The crowd erupted as Virat Kohli came in at number three, eager to see their hero in action. Rohit soon reached his half-century, but just moments later, he was bowled by Patel in a surprising turn of events. The crowd fell into stunned silence, as even Kohli was taken aback.
Sarfraz Khan followed, and India maintained the same batting order as in the first innings. With the Bangalore pitch proving excellent for batting, Sarfraz's aggressive approach helped the runs flow. Kohli soon joined the scoring spree, and both he and Sarfraz quickly reached half-centuries, pushing the partnership past 100 runs.
New Zealand altered their strategy, introducing short balls to unsettle the batsmen. This tactic forced both players into a more defensive mode as stumps approached. In a crucial moment, India lost the vital wicket of Virat Kohli as he was dismissed for 70 runs with Glenn Phillips providing the breakthrough just before the end of the day due to poor light.
As Day 3 concluded, India had scored 231/3, and despite Kohli’s dismissal, they remained in a promising position. They still had a significant task ahead on Day 4, trailing by 125 runs. Meanwhile, New Zealand's spinners continued to take wickets, setting the stage for an important first session on Day 4, as the Kiwis maintained their strong position in the match.
End of Day 3 - India 231/3 Virat Kohli 70(102), Sarfraz Khan 70(78), Ajaz Patel 2/70 India Trail by 125 runs.
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