🏏NZ Tour of India 2024: 3rd Test: Nov 1- 5: Day 3: Pg 42🏏

Big picture: Pride (for India) and WTC points at stake

A 2-0 series scoreline heading into the final Test is what most followers of the game would have predicted when this three-match India vs New Zealand series began 15 days back. But barely anyone would have predicted that "2" would not be against India's name.

It has taken a series of firsts for New Zealand to find themselves in the position they are in. And now as they head to Mumbai with the series in the bag, they have the chance to do the unthinkable - inflict a series sweep over India in India. Only once have India been swept in a series of more than one Test at home - against South Africa in 1999-2000 - and never in a series of more than two Tests. Can India save themselves the blushes?

While there is pride at stake for the home team, there are also crucial WTC points up for grabs for both sides. India are still leading the WTC points table but that lead has been cut short big time with these two defeats. Another loss here and they will have plenty of catching up to do in Australia.

For New Zealand, getting to the WTC final seemed far-fetched when this series started but these two wins have brought them right back into contention. A win in Mumbai and then in the three-match series at home against England will keep them in the mix for another WTC final.

It's taken a lot of grit, determination and long spells of brilliant cricket for New Zealand to be able to dictate terms. They cleaned up India for 46 in Bengaluru and then stuck it out in the second innings when Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan were hitting them around. The naysayers would say the conditions in Bengaluru were more suited to New Zealand than to India. So they went to Pune and beat India in conditions that were completely different.

Rarely has an overseas spinner outbowled his Indian counterparts in India. But Mitchell Santner understood the assignment from the get-go and India had no answers to his guile and dip. They also have Ajaz Patel, who is at the scene of his epic ten-wicket haul from 2021.

For India, it's more about how to bounce back from these shock defeats and get a win under their belt ahead of the Australia tour. On paper, this is a dead rubber. In reality, it's anything but.

In the spotlight - Virat Kohli and Mitchell Santner

Virat Kohli has a problem, it's called spin, and it's grown in the last few years, particularly in Asia. Since the start of 2022, Kohli has played 19 Tests in which he has scored four fifties and two centuries. Of those, 12 have been in Asia, where he's managed just one fifty and a hundred. What's stood out in those is his fallibility against spin.

In 19 innings in Asia since January 2022, he's fallen to spin 16 times, averaging 29.31. The corresponding number against pace is three dismissals while averaging 47.00. For someone who has that old-school long stretch forward against spinners, he has often been dismissed playing from the crease. He's fallen to spin three out of the four innings in this series, to Glenn Phillips in Bengaluru and twice to Santner in Pune. On a Mumbai surface that is bound to turn, Kohli might need to do a bit extra to get his spin numbers on point.

It will be Mitchell Santner who will once again be tasked with not allowing Kohli and the others to get away. For someone whose Instagram bio reads "part time New Zealand cricketer, full time golfer", it was an incredible effort to come in and pick up 13 wickets in Pune, the same number he had managed in the five Tests he had played prior stretching to June 2021. He had tweaked his side in Pune, but seems to have recovered fine. He batted and bowled in the nets two days before the Mumbai Test and will hope to have a similar impact to what he did in Pune.

Team news: Bumrah to be rested? What about Southee?

While the series already lost, there are chances India might give Jasprit Bumrah a rest before the five-match series against Australia starting next month. With practice being mandatory, everyone did everything they could at the nets the day before the Test, except Bumrah, who did not bowl. Gautam Gambhir said that Bumrah is fit and available. But with a long tour ahead, India might look to give their premier quick a break like they did earlier in the year against England in Ranchi. Will they replace him with a spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or a fast bowler in Mohammed Siraj remains to be seen. The batting unit should remain unchanged with Sarfaraz Khan holding on to his spot.

Toss New Zealand chose to bat vs India

New Zealand won their second toss of the series and decided to bat first as they pushed for a first-ever whitewash against India in India. It was an important toss to win again because batting last was not expected to be fun. However, Dinesh Karthik, who inspected the pitch, said there was moisture in the surface, which was expected to make for early turn as well, then some settling down and a lot of turn after that.

New Zealand made two changes, both fitness related. Mitchell Santner, who bowled New Zealand to a win with a sore side in Pune, was out with the side strain, making way for legspinner Ish Sodhi. Matt Henry recovered from a Grade 1 gluteal tear to take his place in the XI, replacing Tim Southee.

Santner had picked up a side strain during the final day of the Pune Test, where he played a starring role. He was ruled out for Mumbai after failing a fitness test on match eve.

India, fighting for pride and also crucial World Test Championship points, made one change: the unwell Jasprit Bumrah made way for Mohammed Siraj. A BCCI statement said Bumrah had "not fully recovered from his viral illness".

KL Rahul continued to sit out despite the batting failure against spin in Pune.

New Zealand 1 Tom Latham (capt.), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Will O'Rourke

India 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Washington Sundar, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Akash Deep

Thanks for the thread Soni.

NZ has won the toss and elected to bat.

NZ 1 run in the first over.

Pitch Report | Murali Kartik and Dinesh Karthik: If you look at this pitch, there's a little bit of moisture in it and hence the dark brownish colour. As you look at the other pitches in the square, you can see the difference in colour, it's slightly orangish. That's how this pitch will eventually become. It's about understanding what happens when moisture is there. There'll be a little bit of turn at the start and as the day progresses, it might get slightly better to bat on. But towards the end of the day's play and definitely tomorrow and as the game progresses, there'll be a lot more turn. If the team winning the toss, doesn't bat first, I'd be very surprised. In the last five Test matches, 84% of the wickets have been picked up by the spinners. There'll be a little bit of help for the fast bowlers as it always is in Mumbai. There is something in it for everybody. As the game progresses, it'll tilt towards the spinners. Days one and two will be better to bat on. As the game progresses, it's going to be hard work for the batters.

Akash Deep, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

Three slips and a gully in place

Their spectacular streak - 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins - has come to an end but India are still at the top of the WTC points table. If they win four of their six remaining matches, India will confirm a spot in the final for the third time in a row without relying on other results. It's not going to be an easy task by any means. So, for India, there's more than just 'pride' to play for. Despite two successive losses, India won't be making radical changes to their XI. Ashwin and Jadeja, combined, have picked just 12 wickets in this series while Santner alone accounted for 13 wickets in the Pune Test. That tells you that the spin-twins have been outbowled. In the batting department, the onus is on the likes of Rohit and Kohli to deliver the goods. "The foundation of your batting in Test cricket has to be defence. And then you start taking up from there," were the words Gautam Gambhir on the eve of this Test.

New Zealand defied all odds to clinch a historic Test series win. No Kane Williamson, new captain after losing the recently-concluded Test series in Sri Lanka (0-2), up against an in-form team, not many backed them to fare well. But the Kiwis have spectacularly won back-to-back Tests in contrasting conditions to register their first-ever Test series win in India. And, there's still one more match remaining. They now have a chance to whitewash India in India, a feat that no team has achieved since 2000 (minimum 2 Test series). Can they pull another rabbit out of their hat? Hello everyone and a warm welcome to the third and the final Test between India and New Zealand. Wankhede is the battleground...