(22.4 ov, T:359) 156 & 128/4
Day 3 – Session 2: India need 231 runs.
Current RR: 5.64
• Min. Ov. Rem: 48.2
• Last 10 ov (RR): 47/3 (4.70)
India got the last five wickets for 57 runs and then added 81 runs with the bat
India 156 and 81 for 1 (Jaiswal 46*, Gill 22*) need another 278 runs to beat New Zealand 259 and 255 (Latham 86, Phillips 48*, Washington 4-56)
India got the five standing New Zealand wickets for 57 runs, and knocked off 81 runs in 12 overs for the loss of Rohit Sharma’s wicket in an audacious bid to win the Test and keep the series alive. They were so far behind the game that they were left needing at least one more such a comprehensive session to move ahead in the game. However, a slight sign for them was Mitchell Santner, who has taken eight out of 11 Indian wickets, clutching onto his side just before lunch.
Needing a perfect session to prevent the door from being slammed in their face, India went to the experienced duo of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin instead of the form bowler Washington Sundar, who had taken 11 of the 15 New Zealand wickets.
It didn’t start well for India. The first ball from Ashwin produced an edge that Rohit Sharma didn’t go for. Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips added a quick 33 to the overnight score. That Jadeja turned the ball big at the pace of mid-90s was only a promising sign for New Zealand. Even full balls were difficult to hit out as Santner and Ajaz Patel discovered with catches in the deep.
Before that, though, India needed a first breakthrough, which arrived with Jadeja’s first wicket of the match, a natural variation that went past Blundell’s inside edge. The last wicket was lazy play from both Washington and William O’Rourke. Phillips, having hit two sixes, was looking to manipulate strike and caught Washington napping at deep cover. The non-existent second now looked on, and O’Rourke took it casually, not expecting a throw at his end. Jadeja showed quick thinking by deflecting the throw onto the stumps even as he was expressing displeasure with Washington.
It was no surprise that India came out swinging after they had been pinned to the crease in the first innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal drove at a wide length ball first up, but the edge fell just short of gully. It didn’t stop him from flicking the second ball for a six, first of his three in that little session. He employed both the sweep and the charge at the spinners to full effect in his unbeaten 46 off 36.
Santner, though, got the better of Rohit as he got the ball to dip on him and the extra bounce got the bat-pad dismissal. Shubman Gill, who had got stuck with Jaiswal in the first innings, came out attacking himself. Between them, the two played eight sweeps in this 12-over session as opposed to five in the first innings.
It produced errors in length as Santner pitched short and Gill punched him for four. It ended in Santner holding onto his side with concern although he went onto finish the session and create another chance, which went to ground as the edge was too thick. Jaiswal topped the session by hitting Phillips for an inside-out six over cover.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo
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