India faced an uphill battle on the opening day of the third and final Test against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, finishing at 86/4 at stumps, trailing by 149 runs.
The day saw exceptional performances from Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who led the attack and bundled out New Zealand for 235 in their first innings.
New Zealand, after choosing to bat, began on shaky ground as opener Devon Conway was trapped lbw by pacer Akash Deep for just four runs in the fourth over. Skipper Tom Latham and opener Will Young attempted to stabilize the innings, reaching 50 with some deft sweeps against Sundar’s spin. However, the breakthrough came soon after as Sundar uprooted Latham's off-stump for 28, leaving New Zealand at 59/2. Ravindra Jadeja then capitalized on the turning track and dismissed the in-form Rachin Ravindra for just five, setting the Kiwis back at 72/3.
Despite the early setbacks, Young and Daryl Mitchell formed a gritty 87-run partnership, frustrating India’s bowlers with a series of sweeps and reverse sweeps. Just as New Zealand seemed poised for a strong position, Jadeja’s persistence paid off in the 45th over as Young nicked one to Rohit Sharma at slip, departing after a well-made 71. With dust rising off the pitch, Jadeja seized the moment, dismissing Tom Blundell and dismantling the middle and lower order with skillful variations. He claimed five wickets for 65 runs in his 22-over spell, his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Sundar provided strong support, finishing with four wickets as New Zealand folded for 235 in the 66th over.
India’s response began steadily, with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal adding 25 runs before Matt Henry struck, removing Rohit for 18. Jaiswal continued to anchor India’s innings, but his effort ended at 30 runs when he was bowled by Ajaz Patel, who then dismissed nightwatchman Mohammed Siraj in the same over, sending India reeling at 86/4. Shubman Gill (31*) and Rishabh Pant remained unbeaten as the day concluded.
With the pitch favoring spinners, New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel took full advantage, putting India’s batting order under pressure and setting the stage for a spin-dominated contest.
As Day 2 approaches, India will look to close the 149-run deficit, relying heavily on their lower-order resilience to gain a foothold in this decisive match.
