Mumbai: Exploiting the spin-friendly conditions, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin chiselled through the New Zealand batting line-up to bring India to a stage from where they can force a face-saving victory in the third Test which is now headed for an intriguing finish.
New Zealand ended day two at 171 for nine with an overall lead of 143, which might look small but even a target in the vicinity of 150 will pose serious challenge for the Indian batters, considering the fast deteriorating Wankhede track.
This was after half-centuries from Shubman Gill (90) and Rishabh Pant (60) and a crucial 38 not out from Washington Sundar gave India a slender 28-run lead as they put on board 263.
A total of 15 wickets fell on the second day, underlining the fact that life won’t be easy for the hosts while batting fourth.
Ashwin (3/63) found his rhythm while Jadeja (4/52) added four more dismissals after his 5/65 in the first essay to keep India’s hopes alive to avert a clean sweep at home for the first time.
Ajaz Patel (7) was at the crease when Jadeja cleaned up Matt Henry (10) for the penultimate wicket on the final ball on the second day.
Will Young’s gutsy 51 was the only resistance from the Kiwis who succumbed to pressure, after Patel (5/103) recorded yet another five-wicket haul.
Having made a subdued impact so far, Ashwin’s delight on getting Rachin Ravindra (4) stumped was evident as he beat the charge of the batter with bounce and turn.
With Glenn Phillips (26) using the long handle to a good effect, Ashwin cleaned up the New Zealand batter for another crucial breakthrough.
Young, who batted as solid as he did in the first innings, was Ashwin’s third victim giving the bowler catching practice after being outfoxed on a carrom ball.
The 37-year-old Ashwin made impact beyond his bowling when he took an outstanding catch to end a stubborn 50-run association between Young and Daryl Mitchell (21), who, for a passage of play, threatened to take the game away.
Young and Mitchell had steadied the ship after New Zealand’s top-order was blown away, but the latter’s charge against Jadeja proved costly as he did not get the distance in his stroke.
From mid-off, Ashwin covered 19 metres running sideways to his left and put in a fabulous dive to complete the dismissal, post which New Zealand crumbled further.
Tom Blundell (4) chopped one onto his stumps off Jadeja while Ashwin cleaned up Phillips, who had switched to aggressive batting knowing New Zealand desperately needed more runs.
At the start of Kiwis’ reply, Akash provided a rare sight of a pacer disturbing a batter’s furniture on turning track when he dismantled Tom Latham’s (1) off and middle stumps in the first over.
Earlier, India’s progress suffered a severe blow with the exit of Pant towards the end of the morning session, as its effects were felt acutely when play resumed post lunch.
From Pant’s dismissal in the 38th over to India eventually folding in the 60th, the team managed eight fours and two sixes — the wicketkeeper-batter alone hit that many during his brisk half-century earlier.
Patel, finding the right length, reaped rewards as the Kiwi spinner claimed another five-for at the Wankhede Stadium, following up his world record 10/119 in the first innings of the 2021 Test here.
Gill fell short of his century while others continued to disappoint.
Perhaps, there was no greater disappointment than to see Sarfaraz Khan looking like a fish out of water during his four-ball struggle, failing to open his account at his home turf where at times he has plundered runs for fun.
Sarfaraz failed to read the length of his first ball and went for a mighty sweep against Patel in his pomp, but was beaten by the bounce and turn on the next.
He might have fallen on the third ball when it bounced off his glove but there was no silly point.
But he had to walk back when the bounce and turn had the ball settling in ‘keeper Tom Blundell’s gloves after kissing the shoulder of his bat.
Gill, who showed no flaws in his 146-ball stay with seven fours and a six — longest for any batter in this Test — was also among Patel’s victims on the day as the Mumbai-origin Kiwi spinner had him caught at the first slip after a fine knock.
Jadeja (14) too was caught at first slip, albeit off Glenn Phillips, as Washington waged a lone battle among the three all-rounders scoring a brisk 36-ball 38 not out with four boundaries and two sixes.
Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day’s play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery.
Pant’s quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.
