In a gripping encounter on the Maharashtra Cricket Affiliation Stadium in Pune, Crew India’s middle-order batter, Sarfaraz Khan, discovered himself as soon as once more outmanoeuvred by New Zealand‘s left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. This dismissal got here throughout the second innings of the second Check match, the place Sarfaraz managed solely a low rating of 9 runs, contributing to India’s struggles within the ongoing sequence. With the staff trailing 0-1 after dropping the primary Check, they’re now getting ready to defeat on this match, needing to chase down a frightening goal of 359 runs.
Mitchell Santner will get Sarfaraz Khan
The Indian batting lineup confronted a major problem of their fourth innings, dropping seven wickets for simply 178 runs. The state of affairs grew to become more and more dire as Sarfaraz was dismissed on the second ball of the thirty sixth over. Santner delivered a sluggish, flighted ball that straightened after pitching, evading Sarfaraz’s exterior edge and hanging the off stump. This marked Santner’s second consecutive five-wicket haul within the match, additional solidifying his standing as a key participant for New Zealand.
Additionally WATCH: Ravindra Jadeja pulls off an MS Dhoni to expire William O’Rourke on Day 3 of the second Check
Right here’s the video:
It ain’t the pitch, its Mitch 🤷🏻♂️#INDvNZ #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #TeamIndia #Santner #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/3KUKUszQfM
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) October 26, 2024
Ravindra Jadeja: The lone warrior
As India’s hopes dimmed, Ravindra Jadeja stood because the final acknowledged batter on the crease. With greater than 130 runs nonetheless wanted for victory, Jadeja confronted an uphill battle in opposition to a formidable New Zealand bowling assault. The decrease order, that includes Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, to supply slightly to no assurance as India misplaced Jadeja on 42 dropping the sequence and the Pune Check by 113 runs margin.
Regardless of his latest struggles, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has voiced robust help for Sarfaraz’s inclusion within the squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy sequence in Australia. Chopra acknowledged Sarfaraz’s commendable performances in opposition to England and emphasised that his choice ought to be thought of given his potential contributions to the staff. Nonetheless, he expressed uncertainty about whether or not Sarfaraz would make it into the taking part in XI for Australia.
“Within the squad, sure; within the taking part in XI, we don’t know but,” Chopra said throughout a media interplay. He famous that with a five-Check match sequence forward, having a bigger squad is perhaps useful. “Sarfaraz has proven promise each time he has performed; there isn’t a cause to take a position that he received’t be a part of the touring squad,” he added.
As India grapples with these challenges on dwelling soil, their probabilities of successful this Check sequence dangle by a thread. The staff’s batting woes proceed to plague them, with their incapability to put up substantial totals proving pricey. With New Zealand poised for a historic sequence win in India—one thing that hasn’t occurred in over a decade—the stress is mounting on Rohit Sharma and his males to regroup and reply successfully.
Additionally READ: IND vs NZ: Mitchell Santner scripts historical past with Virat Kohli’s wicket within the Pune Check
