New Delhi: The ongoing Pune Test seems to be slipping out of the grasp of Team India who took the field in the game with hopes of levelling the series, after getting a thrashing in the first Test last week. Although it has just been two full days into the Test, a result is already being expected on the third day itself. Such was the impact of rolling out a rank turner which saw Washington Sundar and Mitchell Santner taking a seven-wicket haul each for their respective sides.
India, who are to tour Australia for the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy, are currently prepping up for the grand affair by taking on the Kiwis at home. Having dominated Bangladesh before with a 2-0 sweep in the Test series, hopes were high of something similar happening in this series as well. But what the Blackcaps have put Rohit Sharma and co. into is nothing but a precarious situation, the team desperately needs to come out of which.
Although the first day was equally shared in terms of domination between both teams, Day 2 saw complete overpowering from New Zealand as they first shone with the ball, restricting India to a meagre score of 156, and taking a decent lead of 103 runs. It was where India lacked heavily – an abysmal display of batting that saw the batters playing reckless shots and paying the price for it by getting back to the pavilion.
The team thoroughly needed some introspection as it was expected of them to kill the deficit as soon as possible and take the lead in the game but Santner’s even-wicket haul turned the tables. Batting again in the game, New Zealand were quick to post 198 at Stumps on Day 2 after losing half of their side and taking the lead to 301 runs. India needed to wipe them out well before the lead reached 250 but now that it can’t be the scenario, the next target that India can eye is somewhere around 350. And, and, and… there’s a reason behind it.
Stumps on Day 2
New Zealand extend their lead to 301 runs
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/3vf9Bwzgcd#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/uFXuaDb11y
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 25, 2024
Any way out for India?
Looking at the broader spectrum, New Zealand clearly have hold of the upper hand, for whom things should be pretty straight on the third day – come out and bat for as long as possible with the remaining wickets. A team like India, which runs high on home dominance, shall never be taken with an easy mindset, and considering this, a target of somewhere around 400 is what the Kiwis should be eyeing. For this, they need to score 100-125 more, and if they are able to save wickets, the more the merrier.
Meanwhile, for India, a bounce back can be on the cards only if the team restricts the Kiwis to 350 or below. This means that the bowlers need to come into action as soon as possible after the play begins. If the second Kiwi innings are wrapped in the morning session itself, India can gain the upper hand mentally as well. It has become clear that India now have to make the highest total of this Test in the fourth innings. Something like this has just occurred thrice in Tests in India.
The last such instance came in Chennai in 2008 when India successfully chased down 387 against England. Therefore, India shall be looking to bundle out the Blackcaps on a score of 350, to be on the safer side and that would give some sort of mental benefit to the hosts as well, having done so (chasing down 300+) in the past as well.
