Indian batting once again disappointed after the bowling unit led by Ravindra Jadeja restricted New Zealand to 235 in the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gone to an edge and a direct hit, respectively, Rishabh Pant (1) joined Shubman Gill (31) before the close of play on day one. India were 86/4, trailing the Kiwis by 149 runs.
Having surrendered the home series with defeats in Bengaluru and Pune, Team India would need to find a way back in this Test to avoid the ignominy of a 3-0 thrashing.
Indian batters were victims of misfortune or bad timing. Yashasvi Jaiswal had appeared in a good mood until he decided to reverse sweep Ajaz Patel and missed, letting his leg stump take the hit instead.
Kohli had arrived at the fall of nightwatchman Mohammed Siraj, with Patel on a hat-trick. He gave the left-arm spinner the respect he deserved and played it safe. But the next over, Kohli was off in style, he smashed a full toss for a boundary and tried to steal a single the next ball only to be sent back with a direct hit from Matt Henry. Captain Sharma went a run a ball, hitting three boundaries, but edged one off Henry.
Earlier, left-arm spinner Jadeja bagged a fifer (5/65) to give India hope of securing salvation from a series that couldn't go any wrong. Will Young (71) and Daryl Mitchell (82) scored defiant half-centuries under humid conditions at the Wankhede after Tom Latham won the toss. Washington Sundar, who started India on the front foot with a pair of wickets in the first session, finished with two more post-tea to take his tally to 4/81.
Mitchell, who looked impressive, threw away his wicket trying to deflect Sundar past first slip, but skipper Rohit Sharma caught him. Young and Mitchell had held an 87-run stand pre-lunch after Sundar removed Latham (28) and dangerman Rachin Ravindra (5).
Sundar's first wicket was a beauty that straightened after pitching and clipped Latham's (28) off stump. Like his skipper, Ravindra was also deceived by a late turn as the ball went past his defense to hit the stumps.
Jadeja entered the act after that by bowling fuller and quicker. The left-arm spinner delivered two double blows before and after tea. He started by removing Young, who edged one pitched up and spun away, and then bowled Tom Blundell the same over with a fullish delivery on middle and leg stump. Ish Sodhi, playing in place of an injured Mitchell Santner, and Matt Henry, who replaced Tim Southee, were the other victims of Jadeja's spin.