• Axar Patel picked up a five-wicket haul on Day 3 of first Test.

  • At stumps, India scored 14/1 to lead New Zealand by 63 runs.

Twitter reactions: Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin lead India fightback on Day 3 of Kanpur Test
Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin shine on Day 3 of 1st Test (Image Source: Twitter)

Team India bowlers had a daunting task when the proceedings started on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test against New Zealand at Green Park in Kanpur. The visitors resumed their overnight score of 129/0, and soon New Zealand completed 150 without any loss.

Ravichandran Ashwin drew the first blood by dismissing opener Will Young. India’s stand-in wicketkeeper for the day, Srikar Bharat, caught the low catch of Young, who got dismissed for a well made 89 runs.

Then, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson formed another crucial stand for the second wicket. The pair added 46 runs before Umesh Yadav got rid of New Zealand skipper for 18. The dismissal of Williamson opened floodgates as the tourists lost their remaining eight wickets for 99 runs to eventually get all-out for 296 in their first innings.

Axar Patel was the chief architect behind the New Zealand batting collapse as he went on to take a five-wicket haul. The left-armer grabbed five wickets for 62 in 34 overs. Similarly, Ashwin also bowled brilliantly and picked up three scalps for 82 in 42.3 overs.

Most five-wicket hauls in first four Tests:

  • 6 – Charlie Turner
  • 5 – Tom Richardson/ Rodney Hogg/ Axar Patel
  • 4 – Fred Spofforth/ Syd Barnes/ Nick Cook/ Vernon Philander
    Previous most for India: three each by L Sivaramakrishnan & Narendra Hirwani

The home team, however, lost opener Shubman Gill, who smashed a splendid half-century during India’s first innings, for a solitary score. The umpires called the stumps as India managed to score 14/1 in five overs, leading New Zealand by 63 runs.

Here is how Twitter reacted:


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