India’s fourth-innings chase of 359 began with urgency and determination after New Zealand extended their lead to a challenging figure, thanks in part to a fighting knock from Glenn Phillips.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill led India’s opening salvo with intent, racing to 81/1 at lunch as they took on New Zealand’s bowlers on a pitch showing signs of wear and turn.
Earlier in the day, Ravindra Jadeja rediscovered his form, breaking a prolonged wicket drought to keep India’s hopes alive. The third morning unfolded on a surface that had grown increasingly hostile, with widening cracks and abrasive patches that made spin the order of the day.
Jadeja adjusted his pace and targeted the rough spots, claiming his first wicket of the Test by bowling Tom Blundell for 41. The Indian allrounder’s persistence paid off as he later dismissed Mitchell Santner, who mistimed a lofted shot to Jasprit Bumrah at long-on, and Ajaz Patel, who fell in the deep to Washington Sundar.
Alongside Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin added to the pressure, deceiving Tim Southee with variations in angle and luring him into a slip catch by Rohit Sharma. Yet, despite India’s renewed intensity with the ball, Phillips countered with a gritty lower-order knock. His fearless stroke play, including boundaries and two well-timed sixes, wrested back momentum for New Zealand, who finished with a 358-run lead.
With the Indian team chasing one of their toughest fourth-innings targets on home soil, Jaiswal took a bold approach, quickly dispatching Tim Southee for six and four in the early overs. Captain Rohit Sharma also joined in with a pull off William O’Rourke, but his innings was short-lived, as Santner dismissed him with a cleverly angled delivery that resulted in an easy catch for Will Young at short leg.
Rohit’s departure at 8 placed additional pressure on the young pair of Jaiswal and Gill, who continued the attack.
Gill, showing tactical improvements since the first innings, used sweeps and forward movement to counter New Zealand’s spin, particularly Santner’s. The pitch’s inconsistent bounce and turn will make India’s task arduous, and with spinners likely to dominate, the team may need to adopt a strategy similar to the Kiwis’, using sweeps and reverse-sweeps to unsettle the bowlers.
With India still needing 278 runs to level the series, this chase will be as much a test of resolve as of skill.
Only once has a fourth-innings target above 300 been successfully chased in India, against England in Chennai in 2008. To overcome New Zealand here, India will require contributions from every batsman and, perhaps, a flash of brilliance to avoid a historic loss on home soil.
Brief scores
New Zealand: 259 & 255; India: 156 & 81/1 (12 overs); Yashasvi Jaiswal 46* (33), 6 fours, 2 sixes, Shubman Gill 22* (40), 3 fours; Rohit Sharma 8 (16), 1 four; Mitchell Santner: 1/25, Tim Southee 0/31, Ajaz Patel 0/18
