A magnificent half-century from Devon Conway after a five-wicket haul on the back of superb seam and swing bowling by Kyle Jamieson put New Zealand on top at the end of the third day’s play in the World Test Championship final against India.
However, Conway’s wicket, on a swinging leg stump half volley off Ishant Sharma, would have provided India with some sort of relief after the Blackcaps were on a roll to take the game completely away from India.
Indian pace attack lacked a bowler who could genuinely swing the ball and an improved overhead condition also did not help them as much as it did the New Zealand pace attack on the previous day and in the morning session of the third day.
Ishant Sharma found the most amount of swing in the air but Mohammed Shami was the best bowler on display from the Indian side. He was too unlucky to not have at least one wicket in his column after beating and finding outside edges of both Tom Latham and Devon Conway’s bat.
In absence of swing in the air, Shami used all his hustles with the pace and seam movement to trouble both Blackcaps opener but they found a way to give their side a much-needed boost at the top of the order.
Virat Kohli switched to Ravichandran Ashwin after seeing pacers not extracting any wicket and his move paid dividend albeit not immediately. Ashwin of now is a wily bowler even in overseas conditions and he lured Latham into driving at one that was not there at a suitable length and Kohli’s jubilation after taking the catch was more of a vindication than a celebration of a New Zealand’s wicket.
India missed bowlers such as Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who could pitch the ball up and extract some swing in the air and New Zealand batsmen used all their experience of playing in similar conditions back home by playing the ball very late to combat all the seam movements they got.
Earlier, India suffered a massive batting collapse in the morning session courtesy of outstanding seam and swing bowling by Jamieson, who opened his account on the third day with the big wicket of Virat Kohli.
The Indian skipper was relying on Jamieson’s height to take the ball above the stumps and was leaving deliveries on the length which prompted the bowler to adjust his length to a bit fuller. Jamieson also seamed one back and found Kohli in front of the crease to give India a massive jolt straightaway.
Rishabh Pant, who walked out to the crease with a great sense of expectations and hype paid the price of being himself and backing his flamboyance rather than discipline to get through the tough phase.
Pant’s departure put all the onus of taking India to a safe position on Ajinkya Rahane’s shoulders, who was looking very settled at the crease till Kane Williamson brought on Neil Wagner and asked him questions against short-pitched bowling. After pulling the left-armer unconvincingly once, Williamson positioned fielders to set a trap and Rahane obliged in the manner that left both his fans and commentators in dismay.
Jamieson’s control over line and length and India’s mixture of loose shots and lapse in concentrations brought New Zealand back in the game in the first session and the opening pair of Conway and Latham, along with skipper Williamson only strengthened the position by the end of the day’s play.