Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin showcased their spinning prowess in Mumbai, propelling India to a slender lead on the second day of the concluding Test against New Zealand. As the day drew to a close, New Zealand found themselves precariously poised at 171 for 9, nursing a lead of just 143 runs. Although still potentially a competitive total on an increasingly deteriorating pitch, the momentum has swung slightly in India’s favor. Over the past two days, bowlers have consistently dominated, with the second day seeing an impressive haul of 15 wickets, surpassing the previous day’s tally thanks to Ajaz Patel’s formidable 5-wicket haul for 103 runs.
New Zealand began the final session of the day’s play on shaky ground at 26 for 1, as the pitch offered growing challenges for batting. Every run became increasingly valuable, and Will Young stood out for the visitors with a determined half-century, crafting a resilient innings of 51 runs. Despite his efforts, the support from the other end was lackluster. Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway made strides, contributing 21 and 22 runs respectively, yet neither could sustain their innings. A treacherous pitch seemed to aid India’s spin attack, with Conway succumbing to a delivery from Ashwin that reared up unexpectedly to catch the edge of his bat.
Some dismissals, like Conway’s scrambled off break, carried a tinge of misfortune. However, others, like Rachin Ravindra’s dismissal, stemmed from poor shot selection. Ravindra attempted an audacious swing against a sharply spinning delivery, only to be comprehensively stumped. Meanwhile, Young remained anchored at the crease, exuding skill and determination. He partnered effectively with Mitchell for a 50-run stand—New Zealand’s brightest phase of batting that day. The tide appeared to be turning against India until Jadeja intervened, capitalizing on Mitchell’s aggressive intention which resulted in a misjudged shot, elegantly caught by Ashwin.
Such volatile pitches frequently experience a domino effect, and on this occasion, one dismissal heralded the fall of several more. Tom Blundell’s struggles continued with another unfortunate dismissal at the hands of Jadeja. Glenn Phillips emerged next and opted for an aggressive approach—his short-lived innings of 26 runs from 14 balls included three sixes and a four, but ended abruptly with Ashwin’s lethal carrom ball. Jadeja’s continued precision wreaked havoc among the New Zealand lower order.
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Even Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel chimed in with a six each, adding valuable runs towards the tail end of the innings before Henry fell victim to becoming Jadeja’s fourth wicket of the day. By stumps, New Zealand found themselves grappling with a fading momentum despite their valiant efforts. As precedent shows, batting last on a pitch like this could present tricky challenges, rendering New Zealand’s lead of 143 a potentially perilous target. The tourists will need to push hard to extend their total beyond the 150-155 mark to apply real pressure. On the home front, India must reflect on their own batting vulnerabilities, as displayed in recurring collapses throughout the series.
While Shubman Gill’s 90 and Rishabh Pant’s aggressive 60 bolstered India’s performance, their efforts were anomalies in an otherwise uninspiring display by the hosts. After a series of modest outings, Ajaz Patel found a rhythm, brilliantly exploiting the spinning conditions to rattle India’s lineup. Ish Sodhi and Phillips offered Patel valuable support, with Sodhi causing a pivotal setback by claiming Pant’s wicket just as the partnership threatened to floor New Zealand. Historically, India has enjoyed strong lower-order contributions in home Tests, a crucial area they have failed to exploit in this series.
Despite their experience, Ashwin and Jadeja’s batting contributions have been muted. Gill, deprived of able partners, eventually succumbed to Patel’s skilful bowling. However, Washington Sundar’s energetic 38 not out provided some respite, helping India inch ahead in the first innings. India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout New Zealand’s innings to retain a tentative advantage by the day’s end. The outlook remains delicately poised, with a thin margin separating the two sides in what promises to be an engrossing contest.
The brief summation of scores are as follows: New Zealand, embarking on their innings with 235 runs, reached 171/9 by the end of the day. Will Young stood out with his innings of 51 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja claimed 4 wickets for 52 runs and Ravichandran Ashwin added 3 wickets for 63 runs. India, in their first innings, scored 263 with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant contributing significantly, and Ajaz Patel taking five wickets for 103 runs. New Zealand currently leads by 143 runs.