On Day 3 of the first test against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, India trailed by 125 runs after losing Virat Kohli on the final ball of the day. New Zealand, replying to India’s first innings total of 46, scored 402 runs, bolstered by a brilliant century from Rachin Ravindra and a quick half-century from Tim Southee. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav noted the challenge of restricting runs on this pitch, especially with the sun shining and little support for spinners.
“It’s challenging to manage runs here. The pitch was somewhat damp yesterday, which may have affected the turn. Without significant turn or rough patches, especially given the short boundaries at this ground, even well-executed deliveries can be scored off. Credit goes to New Zealand for their strong batting performance,” Kuldeep stated in the post-day press conference.
“We need to bat well tomorrow. We made a good start today but we are still 125 runs behind. We will look at this game session by session,” he added.
“Yes, if the game extends to Day 5, spinners will have a greater impact. Towards the end of today, the ball started to turn. We’re hopeful that we can bowl on the final day, which should work to our advantage. Ideally, we want to set a competitive target, considering our bowling lineup,” Kuldeep explained.
“We all love watching him bat. After his double century in the Irani Cup, I hope he continues that form here. He has a distinctive style and excels against spinners. His aggressive play against Ajaz Patel prompted them to change to pace bowlers. I admire his technique and find it very entertaining to watch,” Kuldeep said.
(Written by Nilesh Tiwari)
