Mumbai, India

Team India added 109 runs in the first session on day two of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai but lost Rishabh Pant on a well-made 60. The hosts cut the deficit to 40, as their scorecard read 195 for five in 43 overs at lunch. Like Pant, Shubman Gill also completed his fifty, cementing his place at number three in this format.

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India began day two on a quieter note, with Gill and Pant taking time to settle down. The left-handed keeper-batter unleashed soon after, with the pair targeting Ajaz Patel, who accounted for two wickets late on day one to dent India’s momentum. 

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While Pant took the attack to the spinner, launching sixes against his flighted deliveries, Gill kept finding gaps at will off Glenn Phillips and Patel. 

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At a point when they put on the fifth gear, Gill miscued one straight to deep long-on, only for the substitute fielder Mark Chapman to drop his catch on 45. The right-handed batter made most of this chance and completed another fifty batting at his new position. 

New Zealand then introduced leg-spinner Ish Sodhi to the attack, who trapped Pant, plumb in the front on 60 soon after to put India’s back against the wall. Instead of sending Sarfaraz Khan in at number seven, India sent Ravindra Jadeja, continuing the left-right combination.

What’s next for India?

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India is running a lost race here, having surrendered the home Test series to New Zealand for the first time in 12 years. However, the only silver lining for the hosts would be to win this Test, saving themselves from the embarrassment of getting whitewashed at home in Tests for the first time.

With India trailing by 40 runs, they need a handsome partnership between Gill and Jadeja to take the lead and pile on it, putting pressure back on the Kiwis. 

For India to take advantage of this situation, they must take a lead of over 100 runs; given Sarfaraz, Ashwin and Sundar are yet to bat, they are in for a long day with the bat in hand. 

Meanwhile, considering the pitch on offer will assist the spinners, the Indian spin trio of Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar would be licking their lips over the same in the second innings.