Cricket

New Zealand tour of India 2021

Rohit Sharma will take over the captaincy reign of India's T20I side permanently on Wednesday (November 17) as India take on New Zealand in the first of three-T20I series. The encounter takes place at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. For Rohit Sharma though it comes as an utter coincidence as he also made his captaincy debut for the Mumbai's Ranji Trophy side at the same venue. It was worth noting that Rohit was leading Mumbai against Rajasthan team who were defending champions and had won back-to-back Ranji Trophies in 2011 and 2012.&nbsp;It was nine years ago when Mumbai visited Rajasthan for a Ranji Trophy match where Rohit led the Mumbai team. Interestingly, both the teams were led by two Marathi-speaking players as Maharashtra-born Hrishikesh Kanitkar took charge of Rajasthan. Rohit shared a tweet ahead of that encounter in November 2012, which read, “Touched down in Jaipur and yes I will be leading the side, looking forward to the added responsibility.”&nbsp;Mumbai managed to take three points in that match as they secured a first innings lead in a contest that ended in draw. Put into bat first, Rajasthan managed to score 478 runs thanks to centuries from captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Vineet Saxena. While Dhawal Kulkarni managed three wickets, future India players Suryakumar Yadav&nbsp; and Shardul Thakur were also amongst the wicket-takers.&nbsp;In response, Rohit managed to score 79 in the only inning helping Mumbai to get a first inning lead of 101 runs as Mumbai were dismissed for 579. Now 34, the Mumbai captain was instrumental in supporting role as both Hiken Shah and Abhishek Nayar ended with centuries. Mumbai finished third in group A and qualified for knockouts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mumbai captain didn’t participate in the further rounds of the Ranji Trophy due to international commitments, but was handed a winners medal as Mumbai clinched their 40th title in the domestic competition. It was a unique double for him as he won the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Mumbai Indians next year.&nbsp;

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Rohit Sharma has fond memories in Jaipur ahead of India’s opener against NZ

India got back to winning ways against New Zealand with a five-wicket win with two balls to spare at Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur. It was a game that went right down to the wire and Rishabh Pant held his nerves to finish the match with a boundary against part-time pacer Daryl Mitchell. At one point, it looked like India will cruise towards the 165-run target but few wickets and dot balls led to a nail-biting affair in Jaipur. With the win, the partnership between new head coach Rahul Dravid and new T20I captain Rohit Sharma got off to an ideal start.&nbsp;Rahul, Rohit start wellIndia got off to a good start in the run chase with a 50-run partnership off 31 deliveries. While Rahul managed to score just 15 runs from 14 balls, Rohit did the heavy lifting. It also broke the record for most fifty-plus partnership for an Indian pair in the format. They went past Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit’s score of 11 fifty-plus partnerships. Rohit carried on and shared a crucial partnership with his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Suryakumar. The newly-appointed T20I skipper missed his half-century by two runs. He faced 36 deliveries and hit five fours and two sixes in his 48-run knock.&nbsp;&nbsp;Surya specialComing in at no.3, Suryakumar played a blinder of an innings scoring 60 runs off 40 deliveries including six fours and three sixes. He was timing the ball perfectly including an impressive six off Lockie Ferguson over long leg. He kept the pressure on in the middle overs to narrow down the difference between runs and balls. He could not finish the job though and got out bowled trying to play a scoop shot off Trent Boult. It was his third half-century in the format.&nbsp;Death overs drama&nbsp;When Suryakumar got out, India needed 21 runs from 20 deliveries. A series of dot balls and lack of boundaries led to the Kiwis making a comeback in the game. Coming in to bat at no.5, Shreyas Iyer failed to do the job as he managed just five runs from eight deliveries. On the other end, Rishabh Pant struggled to get bat on ball or into the gap. India needed 10 runs off the last over and Venkatesh Iyer on his debut scored a boundary first ball. However, he got out off the next ball. Mitchell who was bowling his first over of the match struggled with his line and bowled two wides under pressure. Later, Pant came down the track and hit him for a boundary over mid-off to finish off the game and rule out the possibility of another super over game between the two.&nbsp; Bhuvneshwar sets the toneEarlier, Rohit won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a statement in the first over with a booming in-swinger which left Daryl Mitchell dumfounded and short of a middle stump. The in-swing from good length created a big gap between bat and pad. New Zealand’s hero of T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final bagged his maiden golden duck in T20Is. Later, Bhuvneshwar returned to get the wicket of wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert in the penultimate over. After ordinary performances in the marquee event, Bhuvneshwar conceded just 24 runs from four overs and picked up two wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;Guptill, Chapman’s record partnershipMartin Guptill and Mark Chapman started off cautiously after the wicket of Mitchell early in the powerplay overs. While Chapman faced most of the deliveries in the first half, Guptill was playing a dormant role at the other end. The Kiwi opener broke free in the 11th over hitting Mohammed Siraj for a maximum. In the next over, Chapman too hit a six and reached his half-century from 45 deliveries. The two shared a 109-run partnership for the second wicket which is the highest for New Zealand against India in the format. Despite Ravichandran Ashwin’s double blow in the 14th over getting Chapman out for 63 and Glenn Phillips for a three-ball duck, Guptill continued his big-hitting and reached his half-century with another six off Siraj. He got to his half-century from 31 deliveries. Guptill carried on and scored 70 off 42 deliveries before getting out to Deepak Chahar in the 18th over. New Zealand could not do much damage in the final two overs and managed to put 164/6 on the board.

Pant's finishing skills tested after Suryakumar's breezy fifty as Kiwis struggle with World Cup hangover

Suryakumar Yadav was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning half-century against New Zealand in the first match of three-T20I series. Suryakumar played almost a chanceless inning in the run chase but had a little luck after he got to his half-century as his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Trent Boult dropped a simple catch in the 16th over.&nbsp;&nbsp;The no.3 batter rued the opportunity to finish the game for India as he said in the post-match presentation, “I would have loved to finish the game but that's how you learn and move forward. About Trent, It's my wife's birthday also and it's a perfect gift from him.”&nbsp;Despite the dropped catch, Suryakumar could not add much to his tally as Boult bowled the next over and dismissed him. The Mumbai batter went for a scoop shot but missed the ball completely and it hit his stumps. He scored 62 runs from 40 deliveries including six fours and three sixes. It was the 31-year-old’s third half-century in T20Is.&nbsp;On being asked whether he is doing something different in the nets during his preparations, Suryakumar said that he is doing the same he has been for the last two to three years.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I have not been doing anything different, just being myself whatever I have doing since the last 3-4 years. I bat the same way in the nets and replicate the same in the middle. I try and put a lot of pressure on myself in the nets, for example if I get out I just try to come out of the nets and try and think what better I could have done and it really helps when I play in the middle,” he explained.&nbsp;After a few hiccups in the death overs, India won the first T20I by five wickets with two balls to spare. Rishabh Pant hit a four to finish off the 165-run chase.&nbsp;

“It's my wife's birthday, a perfect gift from him,” Suryakumar thanks Boult for dropping his catch

At Green Park, Kanpur, India captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first. With slow passive wicket, the pitch favours the spinners. With that in consideration, both teams have included spinners in their team.&nbsp;There is big news in both the camps as New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson returns to the fold, while KL Rahul misses out due to muscle strain for India. Shreyas Iyer has been given his debut cap as revealed by Rahane in the pre-match press conference. As expected, India opted to go with three spinners and two pacers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Shubman Gill is will open alongside Mayank Agarwal with regular opening duo of Rahul and Rohit Sharma missing out. Before the toss, legendary Sunil Gavaskar presented Iyer with his debut Test cap. There is no Suryakumar Yadav in the side after he replaced an injured Rahul in the squad.&nbsp;New Zealand have gone with two pacers, two spinners and a spin all-rounder. New Zealand haven’t won a Test in India in 33 years and having lost the toss, it remains a big challenge for the kiwis.&nbsp;India Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav New Zealand Playing XI: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Kyle Jamieson, William Somerville

One debutant in Team India; Rahane goes with three spinners for Kanpur Test

While Ajinkya Rahane-led India and Kane Williamson-led New Zealand locked horns in the first Test of the two-Test series at Green Park stadium, Kanpur, fans had a bizarre chant to motivate the hosts. In the fifth over of the match, fans were heard chanting ‘Pakistan murdabad’ in stands. The chants were heard clearly during the live telecast of first session. The video of chants has been posted on social media. Apart from anti-Pakistan chants, fans also chanted ‘Vande Matram’ to support the Indian openers.&nbsp;&nbsp;On October 24, India had played Pakistan in their first match of &nbsp;T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. For the first time in World Cup history (50-over and T20 format), India were beaten by Pakistan. The 10-wicket loss in the first match followed by loss to Williamson's New Zealand led to India getting knocked out at the Super 12 stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;There has been political tensions between the two neighbours which have prevented the two teams from playing a bilateral series. The last time Pakistan toured India was in 2012-13 for two T20Is and three ODIs.&nbsp;Earlier Rahane had won the toss and elected to bat first. In the first session, India lost just one wicket of Mayank Agarwal and scored 82 runs with Shubman Gill scoring a half-century. After a good start in the first session, Gill got out early in the second as he lost his wicket to Kyle Jamieson for 52. Cheteshwar Pujara and stand-in skipper got good starts but got out after playing themselves in.&nbsp;

Fans chant 'Pakistan murdabad' in Kanpur on Day 1 of India vs New Zealand Test

While Shreyas Iyer could become the 15th Indian batter to score a century on Test debut if he scores 25 more runs on Day 2, there were plenty feats achieved by him and other Indian batters in Kanpur Test. Shubman Gill scored a half-century in the first session and joined the elite list of Indian batters consisting the likes of legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Aged 22 years and 78 days, Gill is the fifth youngest Indian batter to score a half-century against New Zealand in Test cricket. The youngest Indian to score a Test half-century against the Kiwi Tendulkar (16 years and 91 days) followed by Prithvi Shaw (20 years and 112 days), Nari Contractor (21 years and 284 days), Atul Wassan (21 years and 336 days).&nbsp;Iyer's batting partner in the fifth-wicket partnership also scored an unbeaten half-century before the end of day's play. Jadeja scored his 11th fifty-plus scores in Tests on home soil. Cheteshwar Pujara who got out after scoring 28 runs, is on top of the list with 27 fifty-plus scores followed by Virat Kohli (20), Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay (13) and stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane. &nbsp;&nbsp;In Rishabh Pant's absence, Wriddhiman Saha was picked in the side as wicketkeeper. Without coming in to bat, Saha became the second-oldest wicketkeeper for India in the longest format aged at 37 years and 32 days. The record for oldest wicketkeeper in Tests belongs to Dattaram Hindlekar who was aged 37 years and 231 days playing his last Test. Hindlekar played against England at the Oval in 1946.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even though it will take a monumental effort from Iyer on debut, he will also have the Indian record that belongs to Shikhar Dhawan. Iyer needs 113 more runs to go past Dhawan's Test debut (187) score.&nbsp;

Iyer, Gill, Saha and Jadeja get their name in record books on Day 1 of Kanpur Test

Ravichandran Ashwin will have his sights on former New Zealand fast bowler Richard Hadlee’s record in the upcoming two-Test series at home. In spin-friendly Indian conditions of Kanpur and Mumbai, Ashwin needs 14 more wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in India vs New Zealand Test matches over the years.&nbsp;&nbsp;India and New Zealand have been playing Test cricket since November 1955. In 66-year history of Test cricket between the two sides, Hadlee has taken most wickets between the two sides. Before hanging his boots, the Kiwi pacer had taken 65 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 22.96 and best bowling figures of 7 for 23.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1990, a 39-year-old Hadlee went past India’s legendary left-arm off-spinner Bishan Singh Bedi who had 57 wickets from 12 Tests at an average of 19.14. Before Bedi, he also surpassed Erapalli Prasanna who had 55 wickets from 10 games at an average of 16.43.&nbsp;&nbsp;Among five bowlers in India vs New Zealand Test history who have 50 or more wickets, Ashwin is already the fastest to the milestone. The Tamil Nadu spinner has 52 wickets against his name in just seven Tests at an average of 16.53. He also has most five-wicket hauls (6) in India vs New Zealand clashes.&nbsp;&nbsp;In Indian conditions, Ashwin is a must in the Indian Test side. The 35-year-old has been in brilliant form of late. In the recently-concluded three-T20I series, Ashwin took three wickets in two games while bowling economical spells. The veteran off-spinner will back himself to break Hadlee’s record with 14 more to go in two Tests.&nbsp;

R Ashwin can break Richard Hadlee's 31-year-old record in Test series

Rohit Sharma made one forced change in the Indian side for the Ranchi T20I after winning the toss and opted to field first. The 30-year-old pacer Harshal Patel will be making his T20I debut replacing an injured Mohammed Siraj. Harshal was handed his debut cap by former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar. The 30-year-old impressed the selectors with 32 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).&nbsp;&nbsp;“We have seen it here, it's a nice option to go with. Considering the dew factor, it's good to chase in Ranchi. It was a good effort from the boys. It was a good learning for them as they finished the game, it was a good positive to have from that game. The game is such that you need some energy and experience. We have youngsters who want to express themselves, it's a good setup, it's important moving forward. We have one change, Harshal comes in for Siraj,” Rohit said at the toss.&nbsp;On the other hand, New Zealand stand-in skipper Tim Southee made three changes to his side. Adam Milne replaced Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi came back to the side replacing Todd Astle and Rachin Ravindra replaced by all-rounder James Neesham.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We would have bowled first, taking the dew into consideration. It's always about trying to improve. We have to focus on the positives. We'll have to deal with the dew, and find a way to put up a good performance. We have three changes,” Southee said at the toss.&nbsp;India Playing XI: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar&nbsp;New Zealand Playing XI: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee(c), Adam Milne, Trent Boult

Rohit Sharma replaces injured Siraj with IPL 2021's highest wicket-taker 

India T20I skipper Rohit Sharma went on a six-hitting spree in former skipper MS Dhoni's hometown. With his first six in the run chase against New Zealand, Rohit became the fastest to hit 450 sixes in international cricket (Test, ODI, T20I combined).&nbsp;&nbsp;Rohit went past former Pakistan skipper and bit-hitter Shahid Afridi who reached the feat in 487 innings. The Indian opener broke the record by a big margin of 83 innings as he completed 450 sixes in his 404th international innings. Afridi is followed by self-proclaimed 'Universe Boss' who took 499 innings to hit 450 sixes.&nbsp;Chasing a target of 154 against the BlackCaps, Rohit hit as many as six sixes during his 29th T20I half-century. The 35-year-old scored 55 runs off 36 deliveries at a strike rate of 152.78. He shared a 117-run opening partnership with KL Rahul who scored 65 runs from 49 deliveries. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Mumbai-born batter is currently third on the list of most sixes in international cricket with 455 sixes to his name. He will have Afridi’s tally in his sights. The T20 World Cup-winning member has 476 sixes in a career that spanned over two decades. The list is topped by Gayle with 553 sixes. The 42-year-old West Indies opener is yet to retirement from international cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;With his 25th half-century, Rohit also equalled Virat Kohli’s record of most fifty-plus scores in T20I cricket. Rohit has 25 half-centuries and four centuries in the format whereas Kohli has 29 half-centuries. He also inched closer to Kohli’s tally of runs in T20Is. He has 3,141 runs from 118 games compared to Kohli’s 3,227 runs.

Rohit Sharma breaks Shahid Afridi's sixes record with 5 sixes against New Zealand

India pacer Mohammed Siraj is unlikely to play in the second T20I of the three-T20I series in Ranchi. Siraj injured his left hand trying to stop a boundary on follow-through in the final over off Mitchell Santner’s bat. The blow left Siraj bleeding as it split the webbing.&nbsp;&nbsp;After getting patched-up by the physio on the field, the Hyderabad-born fast bowler completed the rest of the over but we may see him getting replaced by Avesh Khan or Harshal Patel in the second T20I.&nbsp;&nbsp;Fielding will be main concern considering Siraj’s nature of injury. The left hand is unlikely to heal in time for the second T20I. Also, we may see him getting ruled out of the T20I series altogether considering that the third T20I will be played on November 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite the injury, Siraj gave just six more runs in the over including two byes and took the wicket of Rachin Ravindra. Later, in the dugout, skipper Rohit Sharma was disappointed with Siraj putting his hand trying to stop the delivery on follow through as it was hit firmly by Santner. Rohit gave him a friendly slap on the back of the head for getting injured in that way as he saw the replay of delivery in slow motion on the big screen.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier in the innings, Siraj did not make an impact as he conceded 34 runs in his first three overs including a 16-run over. In the second T20I we may see Harshal making his T20I debut after winning purple cap for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2021 with 32 wickets. On the other hand, Avesh was the highest wicket-taker for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the same edition of IPL.&nbsp;

Mohammed Siraj unlikely to play in 2nd T20I after injuring left hand

Following India's spectacular series win over New Zealand at Eden Gardens on Sunday (November 21), former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir took a jibe at former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri by giving an example of his successor, Rahul Dravid. Gambhir slammed Shastri's common statement of terming "team as a no.1" after every series win, claiming that others should tag “India as a no.1 team" rather than ourselves.&nbsp;"One thing that astonished me is that when you play well, you don't brag about it; instead, everyone should compliment your team. No one said we were the best side in the world when we won the 2011 World Cup," Gambhir told Times Now.&nbsp;Furthermore, the southpaw indirectly advised Shastri that he should learn from Dravid.&nbsp;"Let others talk about it if you win." You triumphed in Australia, which is unquestionably a significant accomplishment. You performed admirably in England, as seen by your performance, but let others praise you. Rahul Dravid will not make such claims (we are number one). His statement will always be balanced, regardless of whether India performs well or poorly," the former opener suggested.&nbsp;“Dravid’s entire focus will be to make players a human first, whether you play good or bad, kindness is very important,” the 40-year-old added.&nbsp;In the very first assignment of Dravid as permanent head coach, India thrashed New Zealand by 3-0 in the T20I series. Earlier, Dravid had done wonders with India’s U 19 and A squads as well. The change in India’s fortune and style of play is a clear indication that former India’s number three is eyeing the next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

Gambhir points out issues with Shastri's post-series statements citing Dravid's example

It turned out to be an eventful Day 2 in the Mumbai Test between India and New Zealand as India are sitting in the driving seat. History was written as Ajaz Patel became the third bowler in the history of Test match cricket to pick up 10 wickets in an innings. Although, this performance was overshadowed by the ruthless approach of Indian bowlers as New Zealand registered their lowest score against India in Test matches.&nbsp;On a day that belonged to Ajaz, India was dismissed for 325 with Mayank Agarwal top-scoring with 150. The opener continued from where he had left from as he quickly raced to 150 before being dismissed. Along with Axar Patel, he added a 67-run stand for the seventh wicket as India were successful in getting to a total in excess of 300.&nbsp;Ajaz on the other hand was writing a story of his own by picking up wickets consistently. In the 110th over of the match, he dismissed Axar to create history. Axar scored 52, scoring his maiden Test fifty to steer Kohli’s men into a commendable position in the match. Ajaz ended with figures of 10 wickets for 119 runs.&nbsp;The history by Ajaz wasn’t the only one on the day as New Zealand stumbled down to a 62. This was their lowest score against India in Test cricket, beating their previous total of 94 set in 2002 at Hamilton. Only two batters could manage to get into double figures as Tom Latham (10) and Kyle Jamieson (17) salvaged them to the score of 62.&nbsp;Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets while Mohammed Siraj picked up three wickets. Axar also got into the act with a couple of wickets. New Zealand trailed by 263 runs at the end of their first innings. The Blackcaps were eligible for follow-on. India though decided not to give the follow-on and came out to bat. Shubman Gill was missing from the team as he sustained an elbow injury; Cheteshwar Pujara came to open with Mayank Agarwal. The openers made a slow start to the second innings as India finished the day on 69 unbeaten at stumps on Day 2. Overall India are leading by 332 runs with still three days of the Mumbai Test match remaining. A total of 16 wickets fell on the second day.

India in commanding position despite Ajaz Patel's historical 10-wicket haul in Mumbai Test

India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first on his retirn to the team. The second Test between India and New Zealand has brought a string of changes to both the camps as India miss out on the services of Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma who are all out with injuries. Kohli is back in the team as he takes the captaincy over from stand-in skipper Rahane. The 33-year-old's return to the team is a big boost for the hosts.&nbsp;There was also big news for New Zealand, Kane Williamson is out for the visitors while Daryl Mitchell comes in the team. Tom Latham will take charge for the Kiwis in Williamson's absence. New Zealand pacers picked up 14 wickets in the first test at Kanpur, but opted to go with same combination. Mumbai born Ajaz Patel is also in the team.&nbsp;Wriddhiman Saha is passed fit after injury scares in Kanpur as Srikar Bharat worked behind the stumps in both innings. Bharat will have to wait for his Test debut. Ishant's miss though has opened the gates for Mohammed Siraj, the 27-year-old was expected to be in the team as a third seamer in the overcast conditions of Mumbai. The Delhi-born player misses out with back injury.&nbsp;Jayant Yadav has come in for Jadeja as he also got injured as Kohli said that he is unable to pick up the bat at coin toss. India continue with the same opening pair as the Kanpur Test. Last time, Jayant played at Wankhede stadium, he scored a hundred.&nbsp;&nbsp;Team News&nbsp;India - IN: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Jayant Yadav; OUT: Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma&nbsp;NZ - IN: Daryl Mitchell; OUT: Kane Williamson&nbsp;India Playing XI:&nbsp;Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj&nbsp;New Zealand Playing XI:&nbsp;Tom Latham(c), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell(w), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville, Ajaz Patel

Virat Kohli wins toss on return, opts to bat; major changes in both sides

The toss for the second Test match between India and New Zealand took place at 11:30 AM (local time) with play starting at 12. Both teams made forced changes to their side due to injuries. A minimum of 78 overs are expected to be bowled on the Day 1 after wet outfield delayed the start of the game. There was no play in the first session while remaining two sessions will go according to plan. Here are the timings for the two sessions at Wankhede stadium.&nbsp;Session 1 of 2: 12:00PM to 2:40PM&nbsp;Session 2 of 2: 3:00PM to 5:30PM.&nbsp;&nbsp;The conditions aren't best for playing and the first session went without a ball being bowled. The match has already created its headlines as both captains from Kanpur Test missed out due to injury for their respective teams. Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma are also ruled out for the hosts. In their place, Jayant Yadav and Mohammed Siraj have made a comeback into the side.&nbsp;Last time New Zealand won a Test match on Indian soil, captain Kohli was just one-month-old. The visitors are chasing that elusive win in India even though Virat Kohli's men once again start as heavy favourites after the tough draw in Kanpur.

No first session play at Wankhede; 78 overs expected on Day 1

It was a dream game for Jayant Yadav when he took the field at Wankhede stadium last time in 2016. Jayant who went on to score 104 batting at no.9 has since gone under the radar and last represented the nation in Test match cricket in February 2017. He shared an incredible partnership with captain Virat Kohli as the pair was instrumental in guiding India to a comprehensive win against England. "Actually I was out, I don't know at what score but I nicked the ball off Moeen Ali. But they didn't have a review remaining," the replacement said after scoring a hundred at Wankhede in 2016. The right-arm off-break bowler was dismissed early by Ali but survived as England didn't have a review left. Ali's delivery was nicked by the batter but the appeal for caught-behind was denied by the umpire. Jayant and Kohli will have good memories from that game as both ended with triple figures.&nbsp;&nbsp;Asked to bat second in the match England scored 400 in their first innings. India were 364 for 7 when Jayant came into bat as the team was struggling to go past England. India were not expected to have a big lead at that time, but Jayant and skipper Kohli put a staggering 241-run stand for the eighth wicket. The partnership was enough for India to take a 231-run lead as the hosts went on to win the match by an innings and 36 runs. &nbsp;In the last five years, the Delhi-born spinner has represented the nation in only one match against Australia in February 2017. This comes as a great opportunity for Jayant as the doors are once again opened for him to get back in the team. Tough competition in the team has prevented him from getting into the playing XI, but this could be a perfect launching pad for him at a stadium where he has good memories. Mohammed Siraj is also a beneficiary of the situation after Ishant Sharma was ruled out due to injury. Also, India will soon announce their squad for their upcoming South Africa as the 31-year-old is expected to be on the flight.

‘I nicked the ball off Moeen Ali, but they didn't have a review remaining’: Jayant Yadav

Virat Kohli's return to the field came to a controversial end at Wankhede Stadium. Once again, DRS was the villain of the story as lack of conclusive decision prevented the third umpire Virender Sharma from overturning the on-field decision of umpire Anil Chaudhary. Kohli believed that it was a clear inside edge off his bat and opted for DRS. However, as the ball was close to bat and pad at the same time ultraedge showed a spike, the third umpire was unable to make the change.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the last ball of 30th over, Ajaz Patel bowled it fuller drawing Kohli on the front foot. The Indian skipper tried to defend it on the front foot but the ball did not turn enough. As a result, the ball appeared to be in contact with bat and pad at almost same time.&nbsp;&nbsp;As the third umpire asked Chaudhary to stay with his decision, Kohli was visibly frustrated. Before leaving the field, the 33-year-old had a chat with the umpire. Kohli's wait for his 71st Test century continues. It has been more than two years since India's run-machine has not breached the three figures.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even though the third umpire followed protocols/process before deciding not to overturn the decision, the dodgy call raises questions at the DRS system which is not fullproof and often comes to chance. To make sense of it, Kohli would not have been given out if the umpire had said no and New Zealand opted for the review.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was a big wicket in context of the game as the Mumbai-born Kiwi left-arm spinner took his third wicket in the session on a pitch that is clearly tilted in spinners' favour. Kohli's wicket is crucial for India as they are without the services of their in-form all-rounder &nbsp;Ravindra Jadeja.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli left fuming after lack of unconclusive decision makes him question DRS  

Cheteshwar Pujara’s rough patch continues in the Mumbai Test as the Rajkot-born player had to depart for a duck in the first innings of the Mumbai Test. After his dismissal, Pujara now tops an unwanted list of records. The 33-year-old now has the joint-most ducks for India in Test matches while batting at no.3. The second Test match between India and New Zealand started in challenging conditions as both teams were forced to make changes in their side. Pujara who was expected to be dropped from the team was fortunate as Ajinkya Rahane was ruled out due to injury. Pujara though didn’t take full advantage of the opportunity as he was dismissed for a duck by Ajaz Patel. Pujara wanted to nullify the spin and advanced down the track. The left-arm spinner did not shorten his length and Pujara missed the ball on the full and got bowled. The right-handed batter has now been dismissed eight times while batting at no.3, joint-most by any Indian player. He shares the record with former India captain Dilip Vengasarkar who was also dismissed eight times batting at the same position. India head coach Rahul Dravid is next on the list with seven ducks to his name. Things haven’t been great for the Saurashtra player who was once described by former coach Gary Kirsten as a ‘special player’. In his last 41 Test innings, he hasn’t crossed the triple-figure mark which also includes 20 consecutive innings on home soil. It’s been more than four years since his last hundred in Test format on home soil when he scored 143 runs against Sri Lanka in November 2017. Although he has scored four Test hundreds in that period, all have come away from home in England and Australia. His last ton in Test cricket came in January 2019, almost three years ago. The second innings of the Mumbai Test could prove to be the final straw for Pujara if he couldn’t find the form. His struggles could see him get axed from the squad that is due to travel to South Africa in the coming days if the series goes forward amidst fears of new Covid-19 variant. Pujara now faces an anxious wait, if he can board the plane to face the Proteas.

Pujara hits a new low, equals embarrassing Indian record for no.3 batsman

While Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli got out without troubling the scorers, Indian opener Mayank Agarwal ended the drought of centuries with his fourth Test ton. Rescuing India from a tough situation in the first session, Agarwal breached the three figures in the 59th over of the first innings. It was his first century since November 14, 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;Agarwal led the counter-attack after quick strikes from left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. He shared a 80-run stand with Shubman Gill but within three overs India were reduced to 80/3 without adding a run to the score. He did damage control with Shreyas Iyer and scored the bulk of runs in the 80-run fourth-wicket partnership. Later in the last session, he was accompanied by wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha who remained unbeaten in the second innings of Kanpur Test despite struggling with stiffness in his neck.&nbsp;&nbsp;Disappointing return and timely return of formGetting his career off to a great start with four Test centuries within a year, Agarwal’s form dipped as he scored just one half-century during this period. After a disappointing New Zealand tour, Agarwal was pushed down the order towards the end of Australia tour. Eventually, he was dropped from the home series against England followed by tour of England earlier this year.&nbsp; This is the Karnataka batter’s fourth ton at home. His previous ton was a double century against Bangladesh in Indore. He was instrumental against South Africa as well with two centuries in the series including a double ton.&nbsp; The century against New Zealand has come at a good time for the 30-year-old. Ahead of long tour of South Africa, Agarwal can go as a backup opener even if KL Rahul regains fitness in time. In the last 10 innings, he had scored just 118 runs and was due for a big one.&nbsp;

748-day wait comes to an end for Mayank Agarwal, hits 4th Test ton at home

After 10 minutes of poor batting and questionable umpiring decision, India found themselves in a comfortable position at the end of the day’s play at Wankhede stadium. Opener Mayank Agarwal returned to form and scored his fourth Test century at home to recover from three quick wickets. Agarwal remained unbeaten for 120 alongside Wriddhiman Saha to take India to 221/4 from 70 overs on Day 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Toss and changesSkipper Virat Kohli’s return did not turn out to be a huge boost for India in the first innings. However, Kohli succeeded in winning the toss and decided to bat first. The 33-year-old announced three changes to the side as Mohammed Siraj, Jayant Yadav replaced injured Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja respectively. On the other hand, the skipper replaced Rahane who was injured as well. There was one forced change on New Zealand side as well with Tom Latham leading the team in absence of injured Kane Williamson.&nbsp; Ideal start from openersIndia got off to a solid start after a delayed start due to wet outfield. Openers Agarwal and Shubman Gill played out the new ball. Kyle Jamieson did not look threatening on Wankhede pitch which prompted Latham to bring in spin early. In-form Tim Southee bowled well with the new ball and kept a lid of runs. The Indian openers attacked the spinners using their feet but in the 28th over of the innings Gill did not make use of the missed stumping and got off the next ball to left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. He missed his second half-century in the series getting out for 44 off 71 deliveries. He batted at a strike rate of 61.97 and scored seven fours and one six.&nbsp; Mumbai-born spinner turns it around for KiwisThe BlackCaps spinner extracted much spin from the surface and did not stop after Gill’s wicket. Bowling from around the wicket to Indian right-handed batters, he used his variations well. Cheteshwar Pujara advanced down the wicket and was undone by a fuller delivery from the off-spinner as it breached through his defence and disturbed the woodwork. It was followed by a delivery that did not turn too much and trapped Virat Kohli in front of the stumps. However, it was a controversial decision as lack of conclusive decision wasted Kohli’s DRS call leaving him fuming on return. Both Pujara and Kohli got out for a duck as India were reduced to 80/3 in 30 overs without adding a run to the score after Gill’s wicket.&nbsp; Agarwal counter attacksThe Indian opener was dormant during the partnership with Gill but with wickets falling at the other end, he took on BlackCaps’ non-threatening spinners. He scored the majority of runs in the fourth-wicket partnership of 80 runs with Shreyas Iyer. The centurion of Kanpur’s Test did not affect his scoring rate as he went on to hit his fourth Test century in the 59th over. Saha too provided support from other end almost carrying forward his unbeaten 61 from Kanpur. At the end of day’s play the fifth-wicket partnership was worth 61 runs with Saha scoring 25 runs from 53 deliveries. Agarwal has scored two double centuries in Test cricket so far and he will have another chance on Day 2 with an overnight score of 120.

Mayank Agarwal's patient 120 overcomes Mumbai-born Kiwi bowler's horror spell at Wankhede

Wriddhiman Saha’s absence from the field has been explained by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 37-year-old has been struggling with neck stiffness and has not been able to perform his wicketkeeping duties despite coming to bat on Day 4. In his absence, India have used substitute Srikar Bharat as the wicketkeeper since Day 3.&nbsp;In a statement released on BCCI’s official Twitter handle, the board explained,” Wriddhiman Saha felt stiffness in his neck while keeping in the second innings. It was affecting his movement while wicket-keeping. KS Bharat will keep wickets in his absence on Day 5."&nbsp;Bharat's debut on cards? Saha who became India’s second oldest wicketkeeper in the Kanpur Test will now go further scans. Whether Saha is available for the Mumbai Test remains to be seen as he went off the field after keeping wickets for few overs in the last session of Day 4. If Saha is not fit before the second Test in Mumbai, Bharat might get his debut Test cap. The Mumbai Test will begin on December 3 as regular skipper Virat Kohli will return back to the side.&nbsp;Bharat's performance behind the stumps The Bengal wicketkeeper was instrumental in getting India to a 283-run lead as he smashed an unbeaten 61 from 126 deliveries. With Shreyas Iyer, he put together a seventh-wicket stand of 67 runs as India declared their second innings for 234 for 7. When Saha came into bat India were 102 for 6 and struggling to stay in the match. In absence of Saha, Bharat was involved in three dismissals in first innings to break the back of New Zealand batting on Day 3.&nbsp;What does the rule say?As per the rulebook, India are well-within their rights to replace an injured Saha with Bharat. The wicketkeeping substitute rule was amended in 2017 which allows backup wicketkeeper to take over the gloves in case of an injury. In 2018, Dinesh Karthik replaced an injured Parthiv Patel in a Test against South Africa.&nbsp;

Bharat to keep wickets on Day 5 in Saha's absence; BCCI gives explanation

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