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India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter once again disappointed as the hosts lost four wickets while chasing 238 in the first Test match against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Rohit who was looking promising got out after scoring just 18 runs. On the other hand, Virat Kohli who came to bat when Ajaz Patel was on a hattrick also smashed a boundary to get off the mark but the modern-day great failed to build an inning with teammate Shubman Gill as he got run out after a bad call to rotate the strike.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill formed a crucial partnership for the second wicket, contributing 53 runs together. Jaiswal faced some nervous moments but managed to score 30 runs off 52 balls, including four boundaries, before he was bowled by Ajaz Patel while attempting a reverse sweep. India's situation worsened when nightwatchman Mohd Siraj was dismissed LBW by Patel without scoring, followed by Virat Kohli's run-out for just four runs.
At stumps, Shubman Gill was on 31, with Rishabh Pant at 1, as India found themselves in a difficult position.
On home soil, Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma navigated through some tense overs before the team lost its first wicket at 25 runs. Rohit, who was dropped earlier by William O’Rourke near the fine-leg boundary, was caught off a thick edge by the opposing captain off a length ball outside off-stump from Matt Henry. He made 18 runs off 18 balls, hitting three boundaries.
Jaiswal was beaten by O'Rourke in consecutive deliveries during the fourth over but responded by hitting Glenn Phillips for two back-to-back boundaries on the leg side. Together, he and Shubman Gill pushed India past the fifty mark despite facing some challenging moments. The absence of Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner due to injury worked in India's favor, as Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, and Ish Sodhi struggled to make breakthroughs.
Gill, who had a close call when an edge hit keeper Tom Blundell's helmet, scored consecutive fours off Patel and later hit Phillips for a superb six. The partnership reached fifty in 58 balls, showcasing their resilience.
Earlier, spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja (5/65) and Washington Sundar (4/81) shared nine wickets between them to bowl out New Zealand shortly after tea. While Sundar continued his stellar run, Jadeja picked up his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Daryl Mitchell (82) and Will Young (71) were the top scorers for the visitors.
