• New Zealand ended Day 3 with 101/2 on the scoreboard in their first innings.

  • Devon Conway scored a dazzling fifty to boost New Zealand batting.

Twitter reactions: Ishant Sharma strikes right before stumps after Devon Conway’s fifty on Day 3 of WTC final
Ishant Sharma, Devon Conway (Image Source: Twitter)

The third day of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand ended with both teams sharing the equation. After bundling out the Virat Kohli-led side for 217, the Black Caps started pretty steadily, with openers Tom Latham and Devin Conway made Indian bowlers run for their money.

Latham and Conway showed spectacular grit and stood tall against the top-quality Indian pace attack featuring the likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. The duo didn’t score many runs but firmed their respective ends and passed out the challenging spells.

Following the history, when the Indian team couldn’t make the initial breakthrough, captain Kohli gave the ball to his star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who also took his time to draw the first blood. Ashwin dismissed set batsman Latham in the 35th over when the batter tried to play the cover drive but ended up finding a fielder at short-cover. Latham scored 30 runs from 104 deliveries, including three boundaries.

After Latham’s dismissal, Conway and Kiwi captain Kane Williamson took charge to form another strong stand. Conway showed immense patience, which rewarded him in the 44th over when he smashed the first fifty of the match.

The left-handed batter flicked a ball off Bumrah to pick three runs and reached the special feat. But little did he know that his trademark flick shot would become the reason for his dismissal.

It all happened in the 49th over bowled by veteran seamer Ishant Sharma. The right-armer bowled around the pads, and Conway flicked the ball, but it went straight to mid-on where Shami was stationed. Shami made no mistake as he stretched himself to grab the catch to give India a reason to finish the day with heads high. New Zealand posted 101/2 on the scoreboard with Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease.

Earlier, India were packed at 217, courtesy of Kyle Jamieson’s splendid bowling. Jamieson picked up the fifth fifer of his Test career and dominated the proceedings in the first session. For India, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane made 49 off 117 balls, while Kohli scored 44 from 132 deliveries.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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About the Author:
Akshat is the Sr. Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Akshat has honed his skills over 6 years, working with various media outlets, publications, and organizations to deliver high-quality content that informs, educates, and entertains audiences. He is just another cricket fan who’s grown up watching the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. Cricket runs in his veins. Cover drive is his favorite sight, and a ball meeting the middle of the bat is his favorite sound. You can write to him at akshat.gaur@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.