In a captivating and roller-coaster opening day of the third Test between India and New Zealand held in Mumbai, Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja emerged as the day’s hero, ensuring that India maintained a slight edge. His post-lunch breakthroughs left a notable impact, claiming three significant New Zealand wickets and leaving the visiting side teetering at 192-6.
Jadeja’s moment of glory started when he dismissed Will Young, who had been impressively anchoring New Zealand’s innings with a commendable 71. Young looked solid and seemed to be on course for a potential century, deftly countering India’s spin attack with soft hands and intelligent footwork. He was adeptly utilizing sweeps to mitigate the spinners’ threat until an exquisite delivery from Jadeja broke his defense. The ball, drifting in with deceptive flight before spinning sharply, found the outside edge of Young’s bat, signaling a crucial breakthrough for India.
As the cricketing drama unfolded, Jadeja delved deeper into his bag of tricks. Almost in a whirlwind fashion, he sent Tom Blundell back to the pavilion with a delivery that pitched on leg stump, only to turn sharply and dismantle the off bail. Blundell, who had just taken guard, found himself undone by the change in the pitch’s character, which started to provide significant assistance to the spinners.
The left-armer wasn’t done yet. Glenn Phillips, who sought to steady New Zealand’s innings alongside Daryl Mitchell, became Jadeja’s third scalp. Phillips, managing just 17 runs, fell prey to a signature Jadeja arm-ball. The delivery skidded off the surface and slithered through his defenses, catching leg stump. This wicket wasn’t just a moment of triumph for the day’s play but a milestone for Ravindra Jadeja himself.
. With this dismissal, he catapulted into the top five wicket-takers for India in Test cricket, surpassing stalwarts like Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma who each had record 311 wickets.
While Jadeja’s spellbinding spell has put India in a promising position, Daryl Mitchell remains New Zealand’s beacon of hope. Unbeaten at 53, Mitchell showcased resilience and resolve to battle the increasingly spin-friendly conditions. The tailenders accompanying him will need to navigate the spin web woven by India cautiously to stretch their total to a more competitive tally before they have to bowl themselves.
Over the initial hour of play, Young and Mitchell held fort admirably, tackling the occasional trick deliveries from Indian bowlers with skill. However, as the session progressed, the subtle alterations in the surface dynamics began to favor the spinners. India’s bowlers, Jadeja in particular and Washington Sundar chipping in with figures of 2-26, seized the opportunity to keep New Zealand’s batsmen in check.
New Zealand, acutely aware of the challenges posed by the surface which is likely to become increasingly challenging for batsmen in coming days, recognize the stakes at play here. Ensuring a competitive first-innings total could be pivotal. Their batsmen will need to apply themselves and add crucial runs with Mitchell as their anchor, given the daunting task their bowlers will face on a spin-conducive wicket.
India, emboldened by the breakthrough session after lunch, will aim to tighten their grip on the match with a potent spin arsenal at their disposal. As cricket enthusiasts anticipate how the rest of the match unfolds, there’s a shared sense of appreciation for Ravindra Jadeja’s artistry with the ball and for reinvigorating the age-old rivalry between bat and ball.
With the curtain descended on a riveting first day, all eyes will be on how both teams adapt to the challenges and opportunities the pitch will present in the days ahead. One thing is certain – this clash, buoyed by skill and strategy, still has many unfolding chapters waiting to be written.