IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and spinners put India in position for face-saving victory in Mumbai

At stumps on day 2, New Zealand were at 171-9 with an overall lead of 143 (BCCI Photo)

A brilliant display of counterattacking batting from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant lit up the morning session, and the home spinners then held sway in the afternoon as India fought back in the third and final Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After Gill’s 90 and a breezy 60 from Pant had given India a 28-run lead on a pitch where the ball was spitting and turning even off a good length, Rohit Sharma and team were held up by a doughty 51 from Will Young in the second innings.

At stumps on day 2, New Zealand were 171 for 9 in their second innings, an overall lead of 143. Any chase in excess of 150 is likely to be extremely tricky on this surface. Ravindra Jadeja was once again the standout bowler, though R Ashwin was also much improved, summoning up a peach of a carrom ball to dismiss the dangerous Glenn Phillips.

India were in disarray at the start of play, having lost three wickets in a heap on day one. But with both Pant and Gill determined to play their shots, especially against Ajaz Patel, the runs came in a torrent in the opening hour. Pant smashed eight fours and two sixes in a typically swashbuckling knock, while Gill too was ruthless in putting away the loose balls as they added 96 in just 19 overs.

Both had some luck too, with Phillips the luckless bowler as Mark Chapman put down Gill (then on 45) and Matt Henry then grassed a lofted chance offered by Pant on 53. Fortunately for New Zealand, the second lapse wasn’t costly, though Pant was decidedly unimpressed by the marginal leg-before call in Ish Sodhi’s favour.

IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant partnership save the day for India

Jadeja made 14 before edging to slip, and when Sarfaraz Khan was undone by extra bounce from Patel, India were seven down and still 31 in arrears. But though Gill missed out on a century after Daryl Mitchell took a superb catch low to his right at slip, Washington Sundar blazed away for a 36-ball 38 to give India a priceless lead. The Mumbai-born Patel, who took all 10 in an innings the last time he played here, finished with 5-103.

Akash Deep gave India the perfect start with the ball, sneaking one past Tom Latham’s defence, but they were then frustrated for nearly an hour by Young and Devon Conway. Sundar, who had outbowled Ashwin in the last three innings, provided the breakthrough, with extra bounce seeing Conway caught at slip.

When Rachin Ravindra succumbed to an uncharacteristic rush of blood, giving Ashwin the charge to be stumped by miles, India were right on top. But as they had in the first dig, Young and Mitchell frustrated India, defending cautiously and also putting the errant balls away.

The stand was worth exactly 50 when Mitchell miscued a loft off Jadeja for Ashwin to take a stunning diving catch running back from mid-off. Tom Blundell chopped on, and Phillips’ T20-style cameo of 26 (14 balls, three sixes) was ended by Ashwin’s carrom ball, while was then employed to befuddle Young into hitting a return catch.

Bit hits from Henry and Ajaz at the fag end of the day ensured though that India would face a challenging chase to save face in a series where very little has gone according to plan.