India lose 3/6 in 8 balls in final 15 minutes to end Day 1 at 86/4 in reply to NZ’s 235
MUMBAI: This was no brain fade. It was a brain explosion. In eight balls, Team India treated its fans to a horror show just a day after Halloween. With just around 10 minutes to go before stumps, Yashasvi Jaiswal, looking his free-flowing self while having scored 30 (52b, 4×4) in a 53-run second wicket partnership off 64 balls with Shubman Gill (31 batting, 38b, 2×4, 1×6), chose to reverse sweep an Ajaz Patel ball that had pitched on the leg stump. The ball crashed into his leg and middle stump. 78 for one in 17. 2 overs suddenly became 78 for two.
If that wasn’t silly enough, India, instead of sending one of their three allrounders, asked tailender Mohammed Siraj to do the job of a nightwatchman. He was out LBW for a golden duck to Patel, giving the Kiwi left-arm spinner the chance to bag a hattrick. Then, Siraj burnt a review too, despite being plumb in front. 78 for three in 17.3.
The worst was to come. Even as Virat Kohli staved off the hat-trick, he played his part in India’s final implosion in that little period under lights, which marred India’s Day One outing against New Zealand in the third and final Test at the Wankhede completely. Driving a ball to mid-on, Kohli (4) took off for a non-existent single as Matt Henry fired a direct throw to the stumps. 84 for four in 18.3 overs.
This is the second time in two innings that Kohli has been involved in a needless runout. In India’s second dig in Pune, his eagerness for a quick single at backward point had led to Rishabh Pant being out for a duck. His keenness to get off the strike on Friday indicated that Kohli is not just short of runs, but short of self-confidence too.
Within a space of six runs and seven balls, India, suffering their latest collapse, lost three wickets. Their dressing room looked stunned with head coach Gautam Gambhir looking on in disbelief.
Before this phase of thoughtless cricket, skipper Rohit Sharma (18; 18b, 3×4), playing a Test at the Wankhede after 11 years, served up yet another evidence of why he could be well past his best, getting squared up while trying to halfpull a Henry delivery, only to be pouched by his counterpart Tom Latham at second slip.
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In five innings in this series, all the 37-year-old has put together is 80 runs, with just one half-century. Even here, he was lucky to survive after being dropped on 15 at long leg by William O’Rourke off Henry.
In Nov 2013, Rohit had announced his arrival on the Test stage with a sizzling century at this venue in Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test. Could this outing be the last innings, at least at the Wankhede, if not at home, for him and a few other stalwarts of India’s golden generation?
The collapse from 78-1 to 86-4 completely undid the fine work of their spinners Ravindra Jadeja (5/65) and Washington Sundar (4/81 in 18.4 overs). Both thrived on a pitch which provided generous turn and bounce on Day One after seamer Akash Deep had trapped opener Devon Conway LBW as the Kiwis folded for 235.
If the visitors got 15-20 runs above par on this pitch, where playing spin isn’t easy, they must be grateful for the excellent half-centuries by Daryl Mitchell (82; 129b, 3×4, 3×6) and Will Young (71; 138b, 4×4, 2×6). While Mitchell must be complimented for the way he kept at it despite constantly battling cramps because of the oppressive heat and humidity of Mumbai, Young deserves praise for the way he has filled the big shoes of Kiwi batting great Kane Williamson at the pivotal No. 3 spot. Both used their feet and swept well to neutralise the spinners.
Brushing off unusual poor form at home, Jadeja took his 14th five-wicket haul, while the impressive Sundar, carrying on from his magical 14-wicket haul in the last Test in Pune, again overshadowed his senior off-spinning colleague R Ashwin.
Just one wicket would’ve put Ashwin past Indian leg-spin great Anil Kumble’s record haul of 38 wickets at the Wankhede, but the 38-year-old finished wicketless, a pale shadow of his former self.
