WTC points on line as India face must-win final Test against New Zealand

Mumbai: Reeling from a shocking 0-2 deficit, India faces a must-win situation in the third and final Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium starting Friday. The home team's reputation and stellar record have been dented by the visitors' impressive performance.

A victory would not only restore pride but also improve India's tally in the World Test Championship standings and boost confidence ahead of their crucial tour of Australia, where India is set to play five matches after a long hiatus.

Avoiding a 3-0 whitewash against a New Zealand side that just suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sri Lanka weeks ago is essential for them.

India's home dominance has been compromised by a series defeat for the first time in 12 years, a period during which they remained undefeated in 18 Tests. Rohit Sharma’s captaincy cannot afford to see a hat-trick of series losses against Australia. Two consecutive setbacks would be disastrous and could lead to a reevaluation of the team's recent strategies and player selections by the management.

A victory in Wankhede would demonstrate that the team is gradually adapting to head coach Gautam Gambhir's ultra-aggressive approach in the field.

With these factors in mind, Gambhir made it clear on Thursday that the management is not considering resting any players or providing opportunities to those who have yet to play in the series. The head coach emphasized in the pre-match press conference that although all players are available for selection, he is not in favor of changing the lineup, given what is at stake for India.

"Absolutely not. I think we are not in a situation where we can think along those lines.

It's a very important test match for us. The World Test Championship is far away right now at the moment. It's a Test match that we are playing at home, and we want to go out there and try and give our best and get the results in our favor," said Gambhir in response to a question from IANS.

"And even if we would have been 2-0 up, we still wouldn't have thought that way because Test cricket is something that people need to earn rather than just thinking of allowing them to be Test cricketers. A Test cap needs to be earned," Gambhir added.

With the coach's strong assertion, Team India will undoubtedly go all out in the third Test, which means a third consecutive match for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and another chance for senior batsmen like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, K.L Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, who dealt with a minor injury in the previous match.

Although Bumrah was not seen bowling much in the nets over the last two days, Gambhir mentioned that this was to conserve his energy considering the weather conditions in Mumbai.

While Gambhir acknowledged that the team must refine their performance across all aspects of the game, he refrained from blaming any specific area for their struggles in the first two matches, noting that poor batting has largely contributed to Rohit Sharma's side finding themselves in this predicament. The bowlers have performed admirably in comparison, with Washington Sundar claiming seven wickets in the second Test.

The batting lineup has faltered significantly, with India bowled out for just 46 in the first innings of the first Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, followed by a mere 156 in their first innings in the second match on a turning pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune.

Despite some commendable performances from individual batters, particularly Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant, who scored 150 and 99 respectively in the second innings of the first Test, and half-centuries from Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the team has repeatedly suffered collapses, losing 6-7 wickets for around 50 runs on two occasions.

At Wankhede, the team hopes to set aside these setbacks and deliver strong performances to shift the pressure onto New Zealand. The management is likely to opt for a turning pitch for the third Test, but the Wankhede surface is known to provide early bounce and swing for the pacers, which New Zealand would aim to exploit again.

The Black Caps entered the series on a low after a 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka but have far exceeded expectations in India, where they have historically struggled. Prior to this series, they had secured only two victories in 36 Test matches in the country, making their back-to-back wins a remarkable achievement for Tom Latham's team. With regular captain Kane Williamson continuing his rehabilitation at home, New Zealand has found unexpected heroes when needed.

Their pace attack laid the groundwork for victory in the first Test, with Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and William O’Rourke troubling the Indian batters throughout both innings. In Pune, it was Mitchell Santner's turn, as he claimed 13 wickets in the Test to help New Zealand clinch the series.

On the batting front, Rachin Ravindra made headlines with a century in the first innings of the first Test, while in Pune, he contributed a half-century in the first innings, alongside crucial half-centuries from Devon Conway and Tom Latham when it mattered most.

At Wankhede, where Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings during the Black Caps' last tour of India in 2021, New Zealand will hope the left-arm spinner shines once more. While Santner excelled in Pune, the team will be looking for Patel to deliver again in the city of his birth.

This sets the stage for an exciting Test match, especially with the stakes so high for both teams.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.

New Zealand:Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Southee, Will Young.

(IANS with edits)