India ended Day 1 of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Pune with a score of 86/4, trailing by 149 runs. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant remained unbeaten at the crease at the close of play. Despite being in a comfortable position at 78/1, India lost three quick wickets towards the end of the day.
Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar showcased India's dominance on the opening day of the third Test match. Jadeja, the left-arm orthodox bowler, achieved a five-wicket haul - his second of the year in Test cricket, while Sundar continued to impress with his performance in this series.
The day began with New Zealand's captain, Tom Latham, winning the toss and choosing to bat on a challenging pitch at the Wankhede Stadium. Despite this advantage, the Indian bowlers quickly leveled the playing field.
Akashdeep struck early in the fourth over, dismissing Devon Conway. This wicket was crucial for India, especially after including Mohammed Siraj in the playing XI in place of the unwell Jasprit Bumrah.
Recognizing the pitch's lack of assistance for pacers, Rohit Sharma introduced his off-spinners, which proved to be a wise decision. Sundar bowled a remarkable delivery to dismiss Latham, followed by another identical delivery to remove Rachin Ravindra.
Although India seemed to have control over the match, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell formed a strong partnership, putting pressure on the Indian team. However, Jadeja's dismissal of Young provided India with a much-needed breakthrough.
Jadeja continued to dominate, surpassing Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma in terms of the most wickets taken by Indians in Test cricket. Mitchell played sensibly but fell short of a century, eventually being dismissed by Sundar on 82. India managed to dismiss New Zealand for 235, but the visitors were not finished for the day.
In the seventh over of the match, Matt Henry managed to dismiss Rohit Sharma early, giving New Zealand an advantage over India. Following Rohit's departure, Shubman Gill took to the crease and formed a partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, adding 53 runs for the second wicket. However, just as India seemed to be stabilizing, the Kiwi bowlers struck back, seizing control of the game.
Jaiswal's attempt at a reverse sweep ended in his dismissal by Ajaz Patel. In an effort to strengthen the middle order, India sent Mohammed Siraj to bat at number four, but he was quickly dismissed LBW on the first ball he faced. The final blow of the day came when Virat Kohli was run out while attempting a risky run.
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