Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja, who has now donned the hat of an expert and is doing commentary in the ongoing first Test of the three-match series between India and New Zealand, has ruled out the possibility of India securing a comeback win over New Zealand in the ongoing first Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. India need 10 wickets on the fifth and final day of the match on Sunday (October 20) to secure a win, whereas the Black Caps are only 107 runs away from ending their 36-year-long wait for a Test win on Indian soil.
According to Jadeja, realistically, he doesn’t see any hope for India to win the Test match. He feels India will miss the presence of the third seamer, and it can likely work in New Zealand’s favour in the modest run-chase.
“If it happens at 107, it’s great. However, if I see it realistically, I don’t see any hope because it will be moist and you will start with seam in the morning. Even if you get one or two out, you don’t have a third seamer if there is help for seam,” Jadeja was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
After getting bowled out for 46 runs in the first inning, India bounced back in the second inning and posted a total of 462 runs to set up a target of 107 runs for the Tom Latham-led side. But to bad light, only four balls were possible in the second inning of New Zealand on Saturday. The start of the fifth day’s play has been delayed due to rain, but there are chances that the action will resume as the day progresses.
India has only once managed to defend the target of 107 runs or less. That incident took place during the 2004 Test match played between India and Australia at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Thanks to Harbhajan Singh’s 5 for 29 and Murali Kartik’s 3 for 32, India dismissed the Aussies for 93 runs in reply to the 107-run target and went on to win the match by 13 runs to secure a consolation win in the four-match series.
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