Pune, Oct 26, V7N- Ravindra Jadeja stepped up for India in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune, taking three wickets and executing a run-out to help dismiss the visitors for 255 in their second innings. This marked a significant turnaround for Jadeja, who had gone wicketless until that point. Despite the efforts of Jadeja and fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took two wickets for 97 runs, New Zealand set India a daunting target of 359 runs on a challenging crumbling pitch.

New Zealand resumed Day 3 at 198 for five and quickly lost their remaining five wickets for just 57 runs within the first hour of play. This situation places India in a historically difficult position, as they have been set a 300-plus target at home on 26 occasions, winning only once—against England in 2008 in Chennai when they chased down 387. The highest successful fourth-innings chase against New Zealand remains 345 runs by the West Indies in Auckland back in 1969.

With a significant target ahead, India faces a critical moment, as a loss would end their impressive 18-series home winning streak, dating back to 2013, and jeopardize their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final. Currently leading the WTC table, India would need to secure victory in the final Test against New Zealand next week and aim to win at least three out of five matches in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia to retain their position and aspirations for the WTC final.

Captain Rohit Sharma has highlighted India's resilience in bouncing back from early setbacks in previous series, reminding critics of their recovery against England earlier this year. However, with the pressure mounting in Pune, the home team must defy both challenging conditions and historical odds to save the series and maintain their standing in the WTC.

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