In a revealing turn of events, Ravindra Jadeja shared his thoughts on the current series against New Zealand, expressing a sentiment that’s likely shared among the Indian squad. “I was afraid of this,” said Jadeja, reflecting on the series that has become a cause of consternation for the team. Despite his personal conviction to never lose a home series, the reality is that India has found themselves in a tough position, trailing 0-2 against New Zealand. The opening day in Mumbai was seen as a glimmer of hope for India, an opportunity to make amends for past setbacks. For much of the day, they were on track to seize this opportunity until the game took an unexpected turn in the final 13 minutes of play.
A promising partnership, which saw Yashasvi Jaiswal collaborating for a 53-run stand for the second wicket, ended abruptly. Jaiswal, who has been prolific all year with over 1000 Test runs, fell victim to a reverse sweep attempt gone wrong, seeing the ball strike his pads. This dismissal, his third occurrence of falling in the thirties during the series, left India needing more from their top batsman. The final moments of the day unraveled into a series of mistakes that would shift the tide of the match not in their favor.
The strategic move by India to bring nightwatchman Mohammad Siraj to the crease raised eyebrows. Siraj came to face a challenging delivery from a left-arm spinner on a pitch that favored turn from the get-go. As luck would play its part, Siraj was dismissed leg before wicket on his first ball, and even after consultation with his partner Shubman Gill, chose to burn one of India’s precious reviews. Shortly thereafter, Virat Kohli walked in, a move anticipated by many as he was seen padded up earlier, waiting for the inevitable call to action. Kohli, determined to make a mark, faced left-arm spin from both ends with Rachin Ravindra in the attack. A composed defense allowed him to ward off the hat-trick ball and get off the mark with a well-played shot off a friendly full toss.
Earlier, in Pune, Kohli faced a harsh outcome when a quick call for a single saw his batting partner Rishabh Pant run out.
. This dismissal came as the second in the span of six balls and served as the harbinger for a batting collapse that led to the loss of four wickets for just 40 runs. On Friday, a similar misjudgment cost Kohli his wicket. Despite diving desperately to make it to the crease, he fell short and returned to the pavilion dejectedly, marking the fall of three wickets in seven balls, consequently negating the efforts made earlier in the day by India to rectify their previous errors.
Jadeja, the craftsman behind India’s resilience on a demanding and sultry afternoon, broke through a determined 87-run partnership for the third wicket, which brought him significant relief. “It was very challenging,” Jadeja elaborated, commenting on the oppressive humidity that impaired both judgment and physical ability. He went on to highlight the slippery grip on the ball due to sweat and acknowledged the international competition level demands adaptation to such conditions. “As a player, you know what’s going to happen in the match,” he explained, emphasizing the mental preparation required under such circumstances.
A critical wicket taken by Jadeja, dismissing Will Young, allowed India to stay competitive, eventually dismissing New Zealand for 235. Given that they had lost the toss, this was considered a positive outcome, suggesting that India was healing from earlier setbacks in the series.
However, much to Jadeja’s chagrin, the day ended with him addressing another top-order downfall during the press conference. His words resonated the sentiments of a team striving to win. “Only an individual player can tell what’s going on in their mind,” he noted, attributing the slip-ups to the pressure of the series deficit. Down 2-0, any error becomes significant and magnified. However, in a different scenario, such mistakes might be brushed off with a forgiving demeanor.
The next day’s approach will see India relying on Jadeja and their lower-order batsmen to stabilize the innings and aim to cross the 230-run mark, a target set to ease the burden in the second innings. Despite arduous tasks ahead, Jadeja remains hopeful, acknowledging the looming pressure but anticipating another opportunity to correct course in this challenging series.