India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja claimed a five-wicket haul on the opening day of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.
IND v NZ – 3rd Test
Ravindra Jadeja’s impressive five-wicket haul helped India hold New Zealand to a lower score in the first innings of the third ICC World Test Championship match. Reflecting on his performance, Jadeja mentioned that luck played a part, acknowledging he had bowled just as effectively in the Pune Test without the same rewards.
Jadeja said – There was not change
The ball was turning sharply after bouncing, but sometimes even on a turning pitch, you don’t always get wickets. The batter might keep getting beaten, yet wickets remain elusive-it happens sometimes.
He said – I didn’t know that. I look at the stats when I am not playing
Ravindra Jadeja has joined an elite group of Indian Test bowlers, surpassing Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan to secure his spot among the top five Indian wicket-takers in Tests. With 314 wickets, Jadeja now stands fifth in the rankings, following iconic figures in Indian cricket. Reflecting on his recent performance, he noted the importance of adjusting pace and revs on slower pitches, saying, “You can’t bowl too slow; there’s bounce but not much pace.” Jadeja’s strategic approach, blending shoulder strength with spin variations, has proved instrumental in his continued success.
| Player | Wickets |
| Anil Kumble | 619 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 533 |
| Kapil Dev | 434 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 417 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 314 |
Jadeja said it happened too fast for him to process.
India’s Test match position turned challenging after a sudden collapse in the final session, losing three wickets within six runs and eight balls. Reflecting on the situation, a player remarked, “It all happened quickly, within ten minutes, and we don’t blame anyone—it’s a team game. Tomorrow, the next batters will need to build small partnerships to recover and maximize our efforts in the second innings.”
