The final match of the three-match Test series between India and New Zealand will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This contest has reached an exciting turn. At stump time on the second day (November 2), New Zealand scored 171 runs for nine wickets in their second innings. Ajaz Patel is unbeaten on seven runs. New Zealand’s lead is 143 runs with only one wicket left to fall.
This happened only once in Wankhede…
Now on the third day, the Indian team would like to grab a wicket as soon as possible. After which it will start chasing the target. Let us tell you that New Zealand had scored 235 runs in their first innings of the match. In response, the Indian team’s first innings was limited to 263 runs. That means that based on the first innings, the Indian team had a lead of 28 runs.
Ashwin and Jadeja combine to derail New Zealand’s second innings.#WTC25 , #INDvNZ : pic.twitter.com/72liWVggjY
— ICC (@ICC) November 2, 2024
However, the run chase will not be easy for Team India in the fourth innings at the Wankhede Stadium. Running at the Wankhede stadium is considered very difficult. The figures in this regard are surprising. Only once in a test cricket at this ground was a target of more than 100 people successfully chased. This feat was achieved by South Africa in 2000.
The South African team then achieved the target of 163 runs against India losing six wickets. This means that now the Indian team will have to repeat its 24-year-old record to win. The Indian team successfully pursued the target only once before at the Wankhede Stadium. In the year 1984, India won the test match against England on this ground by scoring 51 runs for two wickets. So England had given India a target of just 48 runs to win.
Can the Indian team make history?
If we look at it, there have been only five occasions so far when a team has managed to successfully pursue Test cricket in this field. Now, if the Indian team wants to win, their batsmen will have to show good performance in the fourth innings of the match. The pitch is spinner-friendly so Indian batsmen will have to bat cautiously against New Zealand spinners Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi. If Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal give a good start to the Indian team, the task will become easier.
Run Chase at Wankhede Stadium (Test Cricket)
164/6 South Africa vs India (2000)
98/0 England vs India (1980)
58/0 England vs India (2012)
51/2 India vs England (1984)
47/0 Australia vs India (2001)
New Zealand to play 11 in Mumbai Test: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (goalkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke.
India plays 11 in Mumbai Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (goalkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
