While the Indian team is struggling from the day one of the ongoing Wellington Test, the former Indian cricketer and present commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out the difference between New Zealand and Indian bowling units.
It is the first game of the two-match Test series between the hosts New Zealand and the visitors India. After the visitors were sent to bat first, India were bundled out for just 165 runs in the first innings. The Test debutant Kyle Jamieson (4/39) and the experienced pacer Tim Southee (4/49) both bagged four wickets each. Also, the left-arm pacer Trent Boult (1/57) took one wicket.
In reply, New Zealand scored 348 runs in their first innings, and they took the lead of 183 runs. The Indian bowlers were not consistent enough and failed to dismiss the tail-enders quickly. Though the right-arm pacer Ishant Sharma (5/68) claimed a five-wicket haul, other Indian pacers disappointed as they failed to support Ishant properly (Jasprit Bumrah 1/88 & Mohammed Shami 1/91).
However, the off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3/99) picked up three wickets in that innings.
In the second innings, India mostly failed to set a strong partnership yet as they have scored 144/4 at the stumps on day three.
The left-arm pacer Trent Boult has already taken three wickets in this innings (16-6-27-3) while Tim Southee (1/41) has got one wicket.
For New Zealand, it seems to be more of a teamwork plan: Sanjay Manjrekar
Manjrekar has pointed out the issues of the Indian bowling unit in this Test match. He feels that the Kiwis bowlers made a gameplan as a team and executed it properly on the field while the Indian pacers were trying to find out their line and lengths.
Also, Manjrekar added that Indian batsmen were struggling to handle the ‘slowness of the pitch and loopy in the bounce’.
Manjrekar said, “Ishant was left to himself to figure out the lines and lengths, Shami too and Bumrah were figuring out a way for themselves. For New Zealand, it seems to be more of a teamwork plan, all the bowlers have stuck to this plan of bouncers. The slowness of the pitch and the loopy in the bounce has been a problem for the Indian batsmen.”
India are currently trailing by 39 runs. Ajinkya Rahane (25*) and Hanuma Vihari (15*) will begin the fourth day of this Test match.