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A see-sawing Test match in difficult batting conditions in Mumbai is approaching a thrilling end. New Zealand have a lead of 143, which is already approaching the highest successful total chased down at the Wankhede Stadium. India have one more wicket to take and they are already conscious of getting it as quickly as possible because they realise they are in for a fight.
“Any run saved in this innings is going to be much more when we chase it down,” R Ashwin told the host broadcaster on Saturday. “It’s not going to be easy. We’ll have to bat really well to get this score.”
Ajaz Patel, who picked up a five-for to go with his 10-for in 2021, is still out there batting and he knows that whatever he can scrounge up with the No. 11 Will O’Rourke could be telling on a pitch that has produced 16 single-digit scores and encourages hope that one wicket could bring a whole bunch.
“It’s really important, every run out there counts and I guess I’m still at the crease now so my job is to try and put 10, 15, 20 whatever I can on the board because I know that getting those 10, 15, 20 could be hard work at the back end of that other innings.”
Ajaz also pointed out another trend that’s been seen over the course of this Test match. “I think if we have seen the pattern in terms of the wicket, I guess, over the last couple of days, in the morning it probably doesn’t do as much as the afternoon.”
There were three wickets in the first session of day one, and 11 thereafter. Similarly, there was one wicket in the morning on day two and 14 thereafter.
“Whether that’s due to the rolling or whether that’s due to the heat and the wicket drying up throughout the day, I’m unsure,” Ajaz said. “So it’ll be interesting to see how that wicket plays tomorrow morning, whether it kind of reacts the same way or whether it’s a little bit different. So yeah it’s certainly I guess in the morning if it’s not doing as much, trying to bat as long as possible so that we can wait for it to dry out and start turning again.”
Whatever target that is put in front of them, India are backing themselves to get it.
“I mean it’s all about one good partnership,” Shubman Gill, who top-scored for them in the first innings with 90 off 146, said. “When you are chasing the total which is around 150-160, if you have one good partnership of 70-80 runs, the match is done and dusted. So that’s what the conversation will be among the batters, to have one good partnership.
“And then when you know, even for the fielding team, once there is a 70-80 run partnership, even when we saw today, then when you are chasing 150, the body language of the opposition also drops.”
Sunday dawns with one team pushing for a historic whitewash and the other desperate to re-establish their winning ways.
