Wellington: Team India, playing the first Test match in New Zealand, has not recovered from the pressure on the third day of the match. New Zealand’s first innings was reduced to 348 runs today, based on which the Kiwi team got an 183 run lead.
By the end of the third day’s play, Team India have scored 144 runs losing 4 wickets and they are still 39 runs behind New Zealand. At the end of today’s play, vice-captains Ajinkya Rahane (25) and Hanuma Vihari (15) returned to the safe crease. On the fourth day of the match, India are expected to have charisma from both these batsmen.
Earlier, Ishant Sharma played an important role in the New Zealand innings, taking 5 wickets for 68 runs. Apart from captain Kane Williamson (89), Grandhom (43) and his first Test playing Kyle Jameson (44) also played important innings for the hosts. Apart from Ishant, Ravichandran Ashwin took 3 wickets, while Shami and Bumrah also got one wicket each.
India were expected to play well in the second innings but none of the top-order batsmen, apart from Mayank Agarwal, contributed with the bat. After a long time, Prithvi Shaw, returning to the Test, became Bolt’s first victim of a individual score of 14. Cheteshwar Pujara then played his natural game and faced 81 balls with patience.
Pujara kept the Kiwi batsmen away from the wicket for some time with his strong defense, but he could not stop them for much longer than succeeding. Pujara became Bolt’s second victim and scored only 11 runs in 81 balls, including no boundary. With this wicket of Pujara, the umpires announced the tea time.
After this, in the third and final session of the day, captain Virat Kohli came at the crease with Mayank. Mayank looked to be in a good rhythm, but in the third session, Tim Southee went off the leg stump and he sat on the bat and wicketkeeper Watling made no mistake in catching his catch.
After Mayank’s return, captain Virat looked to be playing from the positive mind set but only 17 runs were added to the scoreboard that he attempted to play a short ball from Bolt, who failed. Wicketkeeper Watling was waiting for his mistake, a simple catch of Virat fell into his gloves.
After Virat, along with Hanuma Vihari vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who came at number six, did not allow Team India to suffer any more blow until the end of the day’s play. Both managed to keep the innings afloat and did not take any chances in bringing the weak balls across the border. Together, they have added 31 runs for the 5th wicket. Now Team India will expect big innings from both these batsmen on the fourth day of the match.