India, down 0-2 in their Test series against New Zealand, will battle to salvage pride as they face the Kiwis in the third Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This will be a critical match for India, which has endured its first home series defeat in 12 years and aims to avoid a whitewash in the three-match series.
Ahead of the showdown, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his team's skill against spin, emphasizing that India’s prowess with spin remains strong despite recent setbacks. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Gambhir acknowledged the impressive performance of New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner, who has dominated the series so far.
“Sometimes you've got to give it to the opposition as well. I think Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game, but yes, we'll keep working hard. We'll keep getting better. That's about it. Guys are putting a lot of hard yards in the nets. Yes, ultimately it's the results that matter when you're playing international cricket, but I don't think so that our skill against spin has actually gone down," Gambhir stated, quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Santner has been a standout for New Zealand, taking 13 wickets at an average of 12.08, including two five-wicket hauls. His spin mastery was especially evident in the second Test in Pune, where he claimed 7/53 in India’s first innings. Despite Washington Sundar's strong comeback with a 7/59 performance that dismantled New Zealand’s middle order in the first innings, India fell short. The hosts managed just 156 runs in response to New Zealand’s 259, with Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring at 38. New Zealand, bolstered by captain Tom Latham’s 86, posted 255 in their second innings, setting India a daunting 359-run chase. Despite a determined 77-run knock by Yashasvi Jaiswal, India fell short, bowled out for 245 and losing by 114 runs.
The series opener in Kanpur also saw New Zealand’s dominance with an eight-wicket win. Gambhir and the Indian squad are determined to regroup, and fans will be watching closely as India aims to restore its standing in this final Test.
India’s squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and KL Rahul.
