 "India vs New Zealand 3rd Test")
Team India will play their third and final Test match against New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, aiming to avoid a humiliating series whitewash at home against the Kiwis. Reports suggest that the Indian team management has requested a rank turner pitch at Wankhede to assist the spinners from the first session of play.
Check India vs New Zealand 3rd Test Day 1 Live score and match updates here
Notably, Indian batters struggled against a Kiwi spin attack that is not even considered world-class. Mitchell Santner, for instance, took 13 wickets in the Pune Test, with 19 of the 20 wickets for India falling to spin.
India not only need a win to avoid a whitewash but also to stay in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Mumbai pitch report for India vs New Zealand 3rd Test
Usually, Mumbai’s red soil provides favourable conditions for batters as it allows the ball to come on to the bat. However, the management’s reported request for a rank turner might mean a different experience this time. If so, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja could enjoy a successful outing in the final Test.
India to go with the same spinners for IND vs NZ 3rd Test?
Washington Sundar, who joined the side recently, delivered an impressive bowling performance, taking 11 wickets in the match, including his maiden five-wicket haul. He is likely to continue in the third Test, with Kuldeep Yadav ruled out due to injury, as informed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ashwin and Jadeja are also expected to feature, providing additional batting strength.
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India’s record at Wankhede Stadium in Tests
India have played 26 Test matches at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, winning 12 over the years. The hosts have lost 7 matches, while the remaining 7 have ended in a draw. New Zealand, on the other hand, have played only 3 matches at this venue, losing 2 and winning 1.
The last Test match at Wankhede was also between India and New Zealand, with India emerging victorious by a margin of 372 runs in 2021. Highest run-scorer at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (Tests)
Highest Wicket-takers in tests at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
| Highest run scorers at Wankhede Stadium in Tests | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Matches | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| SM Gavaskar (IND) | 1975-1986 | 11 | 20 | - | 1122 | 205 | 56.1 | 1748 | 51.2 | 5 | 3 | - | 132 | 3 |
| SR Tendulkar (IND) | 1993-2013 | 11 | 19 | - | 921 | 148 | 48.47 | 1634 | 56.36 | 1 | 8 | - | 125 | 9 |
| DB Vengsarkar (IND) | 1978-1988 | 10 | 17 | 4 | 631 | 164* | 48.53 | 1372 | 45.99 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 74 | 4 |
| R Dravid (IND) | 1997-2011 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 619 | 100* | 56.27 | 1594 | 38.83 | 1 | 4 | - | 75 | 1 |
| SMH Kirmani (IND) | 1976-1984 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 477 | 102 | 47.7 | 801 | 43.19 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 57 | 0 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 2011-2021 | 5 | 8 | - | 469 | 235 | 58.62 | 799 | 58.69 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 3 |
| RJ Shastri (IND) | 1981-1988 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 457 | 142 | 57.12 | 874 | 39.13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 8 |
| N Kapil Dev (IND) | 1978-1993 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 428 | 69 | 28.53 | 540 | 77.59 | - | 1 | 1 | 54 | 0 |
| CH Lloyd (WI) | 1975-1983 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 355 | 242* | 177.5 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 22 | 6 |
| GR Viswanath (IND) | 1975-1981 | 8 | 14 | - | 349 | 95 | 24.92 | 413 | 45.52 | - | 2 | - | 40 | 0 |
| CA Pujara (IND) | 2012-2021 | 4 | 6 | - | 348 | 135 | 58 | 728 | 47.8 | 2 | - | 1 | 37 | 1 |
| AI Kallicharran (WI) | 1975-1978 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 319 | 187 | 159.5 | 315 | 59.36 | 1 | 1 | - | 40 | 0 |
| V Sehwag (IND) | 2002-2012 | 5 | 9 | - | 302 | 147 | 33.55 | 434 | 69.58 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 4 |
| K Srikkanth (IND) | 1981-1988 | 4 | 7 | - | 267 | 94 | 38.14 | 371 | 71.96 | - | 3 | 2 | 33 | 4 |
| VG Kambli (IND) | 1993-1994 | 2 | 3 | - | 264 | 224 | 88 | 456 | 57.89 | 1 | - | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Highest wicket-takers in Tests at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | Balls | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
| R Ashwin (IND) | 2011-2021 | 5 | 10 | 1444 | 240.4 | 36 | 700 | 38 | 6/55 | 18.42 | 2.9 | 38 | 4 | 3 |
| A Kumble (IND) | 1993-2006 | 7 | 14 | 2192 | 365.2 | 102 | 831 | 38 | 5/90 | 21.86 | 2.27 | 57.68 | 4 | 1 |
| N Kapil Dev (IND) | 1978-1993 | 11 | 21 | 1827 | 304.3 | 83 | 770 | 28 | 5/70 | 27.5 | 2.52 | 65.25 | 1 | 1 |
| Harbhajan Singh (IND) | 2001-2012 | 5 | 10 | 1104 | 184 | 43 | 512 | 24 | 7/48 | 21.33 | 2.78 | 46 | 1 | 2 |
| KD Ghavri (IND) | 1975-1980 | 6 | 11 | 1033 | 172.1 | 32 | 569 | 23 | 5/33 | 24.73 | 3.3 | 44.91 | 2 | 2 |
| IT Botham (ENG) | 1980-1981 | 2 | 4 | 596 | 99.2 | 23 | 239 | 22 | 7/48 | 10.86 | 2.4 | 27.09 | 1 | 3 |
| PP Ojha (IND) | 2011-2013 | 3 | 6 | 890 | 148.2 | 29 | 421 | 22 | 6/47 | 19.13 | 2.83 | 40.45 | - | 4 |
| NS Yadav (IND) | 1979-1986 | 6 | 12 | 1389 | 231.3 | 61 | 575 | 22 | 5/131 | 26.13 | 2.48 | 63.13 | 2 | 1 |
| DR Doshi (IND) | 1979-1981 | 4 | 8 | 900 | 150 | 42 | 305 | 20 | 5/39 | 15.25 | 2.03 | 45 | - | 2 |
| CA Walsh (WI) | 1987-1994 | 2 | 4 | 490 | 81.4 | 14 | 237 | 17 | 6/79 | 13.94 | 2.9 | 28.82 | 1 | 2 |
| RJ Shastri (IND) | 1981-1988 | 6 | 10 | 1449 | 241.3 | 69 | 509 | 17 | 4/45 | 29.94 | 2.1 | 85.23 | 2 | - |
| Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) | 1976-1988 | 2 | 4 | 491 | 81.5 | 16 | 259 | 15 | 6/49 | 17.26 | 3.16 | 32.73 | 2 | 1 |
| BS Bedi (IND) | 1975-1978 | 4 | 7 | 1425 | 237.3 | 78 | 525 | 15 | 5/27 | 35 | 2.21 | 95 | 1 | 1 |
| AY Patel (NZ) | 2021-2021 | 1 | 2 | 443 | 73.5 | 15 | 225 | 14 | 10/119 | 16.07 | 3.04 | 31.64 | 1 | 1 |
| BS Chandrasekhar (IND) | 1975-1978 | 4 | 6 | 1064 | 177.2 | 35 | 497 | 14 | 5/116 | 35.5 | 2.8 | 76 | 1 | 1 |
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