On the opening day of the third Test between India and New Zealand in Mumbai, Ravindra Jadeja showcased his spinning prowess by leading India’s bowling attack, securing a slim advantage against their formidable opponents. In an extraordinary afternoon session, the left-arm spinner disrupted New Zealand’s promising innings by taking three critical wickets, thereby tilting the balance in favor of the home side. Jadeja’s efforts were pivotal as India restricted New Zealand to 192 for 6 at the end of the day’s play.
The day began with New Zealand openers Will Young and Daryl Mitchell weathering the initial storm and, to their credit, played with impressive discipline and technique. Throughout the first hour, the pair demonstrated such technical finesse that the spin of the ball presented them with little trouble. They adeptly employed soft hands, advanced down the pitch, and utilized the sweep shot to counter the Indian spinners effectively. The diligent approach of Young and Mitchell helped New Zealand navigate the session without sustaining much damage.
Although the morning session ended largely in a stalemate, it was the post-lunch period that saw a dramatic shift in proceedings, thanks to Jadeja. As the pitch began to offer more assistance to the spinners, with increased turn and bounce, Jadeja seized the opportunity to shine. His moment of magic came when he delivered a sublime ball to Young, who was on the verge of a well-deserved century at 71. Jadeja’s delivery drifted in deceptively before sharply spinning away with extra bounce, finding the edge of Young’s bat and bringing an end to a promising knock.
Jadeja’s devastating spell continued in the same over as he dismissed Tom Blundell for no score. The Indian spinner bowled a sharply turning delivery that pitched on the leg stump and dislodged the off bail, leaving the New Zealand batsman perplexed and the Indian camp jubilant.
. This was the breakthrough India needed, keeping New Zealand from forming any significant partnerships.
Glenn Phillips entered the fray, attempting to build a partnership with the ever-stalwart Mitchell, who stood firm at the crease. However, Phillips soon fell victim to Jadeja’s signature arm-ball. The delivery skidded through to crack his leg stump, sending him back to the pavilion with just 17 runs to his name. This wicket was particularly special for Jadeja, as it placed him among the elite, breaking into the top-five for the most Test wickets by an Indian bowler, surpassing the likes of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, both of whom had taken 311 wickets.
With the surface increasingly becoming a spin-friendly battleground, Jadeja’s third wicket of the session firmly put the brakes on New Zealand’s scoring rate and momentum. Daryl Mitchell, having played with great determination and sitting at an unbeaten 53, was left with the lower order for company as the day drew to a close. For New Zealand, stretching their total beyond 200 seemed to be a daunting task as the surface took on a more unpredictable character.
Washington Sundar also played his role effectively, supporting Jadeja by picking up two more wickets, thus ensuring that the Indian bowling attack remained relentless throughout the day. As the hostilities concluded for the day, New Zealand found themselves in a precarious position. They were aware that any hope of posing a substantial challenge would rely heavily on Mitchell’s ability to marshal the tailenders and extract whatever he could from the testing Mumbai pitch on the subsequent days.
The opening day of this pivotal Test witnessed a masterclass in spin bowling from Ravindra Jadeja, who combined accuracy with guile to dismantle New Zealand’s batting lineup. While the visitors will look to reassess and come back stronger, India will be buoyed by the crucial breakthroughs that gave them the upper hand in what promises to be an exhilarating continuation of this Test match.