[Watch] Ravindra Jadeja cleans up Tom Blundell to provide first breakthrough on Day 3 of 2024 IND vs NZ 2nd Test
Ravindra Jadeja bowled Tom Blundell to bag his first wicket of the ongoing second Test between India and New Zealand in Pune on Saturday, October 26. The wicketkeeper batter departed for 41 runs off 83 balls as the Kiwis were reduced to 231/6 in their second innings.
The dismissal came in the 60th over of New Zealand’s innings. Jadeja bowled a delivery outside the line from around the wicket and there was a lovely inward drift. Blundell got forward to defend but missed the line. The ball entered the gap between bat and pad to clip the top of the middle stump. The left-arm spinner looked relieved after bagging his first wicket of the game.
Watch the clip below:
Interestingly, Ravindra Jadeja went wicketless while his counterpart Mitchell Santner returned with career-best figures of 7/53 in the first innings.
Ravindra Jadeja strikes thrice but New Zealand stretch lead past 300
Ravindra Jadeja returned to the wickets tally with the wickets of Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel but the Kiwis have stretched their lead past 300 in the second Test.
At the time of writing, New Zealand were 241/9, leading by 344 runs, with Glenn Phillips and William O'Rourke at the crease.
Batting first, the visitors posted 259. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra chipped in with 76 (141) and 65 (105), respectively. Washington Sundar starred with the ball, returning with career-best figures of 7/59, while Ravichandran Ashwin bagged three wickets.
In response, the hosts were bundled out for 156 in their first innings. Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill chipped in with 30s. As mentioned above, Santner bagged seven wickets, while Glenn Phillips picked up two.
The Kiwis are searching for their first series win in India after winning their first game since 1988 in Bengaluru by eight wickets in the opening Test. On the contrary, India are yet to lose a Test series at home since the 1-2 loss to England in 2012.
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