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After a high-scoring day in the first Test between India and New Zealand, Kuldeep Yadav expressed his disappointment with the pitch conditions. He noted that the pitch didn't offer much turn and the ground's dimensions didn't aid spin bowling much. Notably, a total of 453 runs were scored on Day 3 of the first Test between India and New Zealand.
"It was difficult to control runs on this wicket. Even the good deliveries were being hit. There wasn’t much turn off the pitch. Maybe because it was damp yesterday, today it had become hard. This ground also has a history. It is a small ground, and runs are easily scored here,” Kuldeep said in the post-day press conference.
The third day of the first Test between India and New Zealand witnessed a high-scoring affair, with a whopping 453 runs scored, 231 by India and 222 by Kiwis. This was the second-highest scoring day in the history of Test cricket in India, falling short of the record of 470 runs scored at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
I missed his wicket twice: Kuldeep Yadav on Rachin Ravindra
After a disastrous first innings where India was bowled out for 46 runs, New Zealand further extended their lead through a crucial 137-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee. The duo, particularly Ravindra, troubled the Indian spinners, especially R. Ashwin.While Kuldeep Yadav acknowledged Ravindra's technical prowess, he also pointed out that Southee had some luck during his innings.
“He [Ravindra] batted very well. I missed his wicket twice. He is a good player. He has improved in the last two years as a player. He batted with good technique. He was comfortable against the spinners. I hope he doesn’t play like this in the upcoming matches,” Kuldeep further stated.
“Tim Southee was lucky many times,” he added.
With a daunting 356-run deficit hanging on their head after the first innings, India responded aggressively, scoring 231 runs in just 49 overs, maintaining a high scoring rate of 4.71 runs per over. It was the troika of Rohit Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan and Virat Kohli, who notched a fifty each and led India's fightback.
Kuldeep Yadav pins hopes on Sarfaraz Khan
Kuldeep clarified that there was no specific strategy to bat aggressively during the innings break. Instead, the team focused on adapting to the situation and playing their natural game. Sarfaraz Khan played a crucial role in India's fightback, scoring an unbeaten 70 runs off 78 balls. His 136-run partnership with Virat Kohli provided a glimmer of hope for India.
Kuldeep expressed his admiration for Sarfaraz's batting abilities, hoping that the young talent would continue to deliver match-winning performances.
“We enjoy his [Sarfaraz] batting a lot. You saw how he scored a 200 in the Irani Cup. I hope he scores a double-hundred here too... He doesn’t allow the spinners to settle down. He counter-attacked the left-arm spinner [Ajaz Patel], and they had to bring in a fast bowler from one end,” Kuldeep signed off.
