Ravichandran Ashwin is hopeful that India can ‘wrap it up’ early on Sunday after helping the side claw back against New Zealand on day two of the third Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja (4-52) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3-63) helped India reduce New Zealand to 171/9 in their second innings at the end of Day 2 in the third Test in Mumbai. New Zealand, who scored 235 in their first innings were leading by 143 runs after they rode on Ajaz Patel’s 5-103 to bowl out India for 263, restricting the hosts to only a 28-run lead.
“Hopefully not many, we should wrap it up with one or two runs here and there. Any runs saved in this innings is going to be much more critical. It’s not going to be easy, we’ll have to bat really well,” Ashwin told former teammate Dinesh Karthik in a snap interview for Jio Cinema.
“Expected a lot more bounce. It has been quite slow which is a surprise. It’s not a typical Bombay pitch, much slower.”
On a crumbling pitch on which offered sharp turn and variable bounce, the spinners continued to rule the roost as they had another productive day.
After New Zealand had restricted India to 263 in their first innings and lead of just 28 runs despite contrasting half-centuries by Shubman Gill (90) and Rishabh Pant (60), the hosts roared back into contention thanks to Ashwin and Jadeja.
Akash Deep, opening the bowling, gave India the breakthrough once again by bowling Tom Latham for one as the ball nipped back in to sneak through the gap between the bat and pad.
Washing Sundar then accounted for Devon Conway (22) and Ashwin sent back Rachin Ravindra for 4 but Will Young and Daryl Mitchell, who had saved New Zealand in their first innings, raised a half-century partnership to keep New Zealand’s hopes alive.
