India five wickets away from victory after Ashwin, Axar star on Day 3

India piled on the pressure on Day 3 of the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium as the hosts set New Zealand a near-insurmountable target of 540 after declaring at 276 for seven. With the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin continued to weave his magic, picking up three wickets to leave the Men in Blue just five wickets away from a series victory against the World Champions.

The only solace for New Zealand on another hard day’s play was the performance of Ajaz Patel, who added another four wickets to his tally of 10 from the first innings to finish with 14 for 225 in the match – the best figures against India in Test cricket.

The hosts began the day with a lead of 332, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal showed plenty of intent in the opening half-hour, scoring 30 runs off the first five overs. Agarwal continued to use his feet to attack the spinners, reaching his half-century with his fifth six of the match, and the pair eventually brought up their century partnership after braving a sharp spell of short bowling from Tim Southee. 

Ajaz Patel removed Pujara and Agarwal before Lunch, but India continued to show positive intent after the break. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli shared a 72-run stand before Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel entertained the crowd with some brief fireworks. Iyer hit William Sommerville for two consecutive sixes over midwicket while Axar sprayed the ball to all parts of the ground in a power-packed cameo 41-run cameo of just 26 deliveries. Rachin Ravindra picked up his first three Test wickets post Lunch, but India’s batters piled on the misery before eventually declaring with a lead over 500. 

Ravichandran Ashwin trapped Tom Latham on his pads in the short stint before Tea, but the Kiwis showed some more application with the bat on Day 3 compared to their effort in their first innings. Daryl Mitchell – in particular – impressed with his steady footwork and willingness to take the aerial route, offering some resistance for New Zealand with his knock of 60 from 92 balls before holing out in the deep against Axar Patel. The same can’t be said about Ross Taylor, who endured a frenetic stay at the crease and lasted only eight deliveries after skying a slog-sweep off R Ashwin.

The off-spinner picked up three wickets in the innings, and India finished the day with just five scalps remaining to secure a comprehensive win. New Zealand, meanwhile, require a lot less probable 400 runs.