India is coming into the third and final red-ball game of the three-match Test series on the back of their historic series defeat by a 2-1 margin at home for the first time since the 2012/13 season against England. Despite all the craze around the Indian Premier League (IPL) retentions, the focus for them is still on the upcoming encounter as they desire more points for the World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification.
With the two losses in Bengaluru and Pune for the two encounters against the Kiwi side, India finds themselves at a place where they would need to win four of their last six games, five of which include the upcoming five-match red-ball series in Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
The Rohit Sharma-led side was demolished before the pace attack of the Blackcaps at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as they were blown away for only 46 runs, their third-lowest innings total in the format and by far the lowest at home in Tests.
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The wet surface in combination with the decision to bat first, having won the toss, didn’t work out in favor of the home side, who later proposed a slow and low turner in Pune. This time, they lost the toss and were asked to bat second on the surface and were destroyed by the Mitchell Santner storm, who picked up 13 wickets in the game.
India calls 35 net bowlers in the Mumbai nets; most of them spinners
Two days before the beginning of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, the management called 35 net bowlers, most of them a variety of spinners. The reports have claimed that the management has requested the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to allow the net bowlers during the first intense training session in India after their two-day break.
All of the players have already been informed that there won’t be any optional training before the Test, and it will be compulsory for everyone. They requested the MCA to allow some of the extra net bowlers, as the focus is mostly on the left-arm Blackcaps spinner Santner and Ajaz Patel. The former claimed 13/157 in the last game in Pune, which is the third-best by a visiting bowler in India.
The spinners of India have loved bowling at the Wankhede. In five of the games, Ravichandran Ashwin bagged 38 wickets at an average of 18.42, which is the highest by any bowler at this venue. In the only game he has played at this ground, Ravindra Jadeja has picked up six wickets.
India’s batting was under the microscope for the lion’s share of the time. Their ability to face the spinners has dropped down terribly in the last few years of the format. Three days before the start of the third Test, the pitch looked bare and without any grass, with the ground staff regularly watering it and leaving it open for hours.
That would help it to get dried up under the sun. In the first session, the breeze of the Arabian Sea is expected to help the spinners get the drift, and the pacers produce some early seam and swing movement with the new ball.
New Zealand can aim to beat India in the Test to end another streak where they would become only the first team since 2000 by South Africa to whitewash the home side in a Test series at home.