Ravindra Jadeja’s mesmerizing spell of left-arm spin wreaked havoc on New Zealand’s batting lineup in the first innings of the third Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With India already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, New Zealand opted to bat first after winning the toss. They made a promising start, reaching 159 for 4 with Will Young and Daryl Mitchell forging a solid partnership of 87 runs.
However, the introduction of Jadeja proved to be a game-changer. The veteran spinner extracted sharp turn and bounce from the pitch, making life difficult for the Kiwi batsmen. In the 45th over, he struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Young for 71 and Tom Blundell for a three-ball duck.
Jadeja’s relentless attack continued, as he claimed the next three wickets to fall. He rattled the stumps behind Glenn Phillips for 17, trapped Ish Sodhi in front for 7, and cleaned up Matt Henry for 0 in his second double-wicket over of the day. This brought up his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
New Zealand’s innings crumbled rapidly after Jadeja’s onslaught. Off-spinner Washington Sundar joined the party, dismissing top-scorer Mitchell for 82 and Ajaz Patel for 7 to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 81.
The Kiwis were eventually bowled out for 235 in 65.4 overs, with Jadeja finishing with a match-winning haul of 5 for 47. His exceptional performance put India in a commanding position in the match and brought them closer to a series sweep.
