Second Test: India close in on big win after reducing New Zealand to 140/5 on Day 3

India declared their second innings at 276 for 7 after Axar hit four sixes and three fours in his 41 off 26 balls to prop up the innings towards the end

Ajaz Patel continued to give cricket statisticians numbers to crunch, and India continued to dominate New Zealand at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

Basically, little had changed between day two and three of the second Test, but for one thing: New Zealand’s batters were determined to make up for the humiliation of Saturday. In getting to 140 for 5 at stumps with Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra hanging on, they were marginally better.

Still, the weight of 400 runs, two remaining days and a heavy loss hangs over them.

Mayank Agarwal’s half-century, coupled with a string of fiery cameos, meant India would declare their second innings after 276 for 7 in 70 overs. New Zealand were set a target of 540 runs.

With only five wickets to spare, New Zealand don’t stand a chance, not against the likes of R Ashwin (3/27), but they should at least try and reenact the fight they showed in the Kanpur draw.

In the opening Test, Ajaz and Rachin saved the day with an unbroken 10th-wicket stand in the dying minutes of the game.

There, the pitch was docile enough to block without giving close-in fielders a sniff. Here, the ball has been turning since day one, as evidenced in Ajaz’s record 10-wicket haul and the wrapping up of New Zealand’s innings for 62.

For the second time in little under three hours, Ajaz and the other Kiwi bowlers begged for assistance on Saturday, and there was some, but Mayank and Cheteshwar Pujara played them out to take India to 69 without a loss, and a lead of 332 runs - a daunting number even if India had declared at that stage.

Virat Kohli, who had opted against enforcing a follow-on, wasn’t going to let the visitors off easy, not when there was an opportunity to get some game-batting practice.

So, once Ajaz removed the overnight batters, it was the Indian skipper’s chance to play himself into form before the all-important upcoming tour of South Africa.

Evidently, he wasn’t the Kohli from a couple of seasons ago. If anything, he looked as vulnerable against the spinners as the others in the side, but he showed great intent even if not as good footwork. That he chopped on a nothing delivery from Rachin after 36 runs in 84 balls summarised his form.

Rachin, whose parents are from Bengaluru, finished with three wickets in the innings, an especially good effort when it looked like no one but Ajaz was going to pick up wickets.

Ajaz bagged four wickets for 106 runs in 26 overs in the second innings to finish the game (after India’s declaration) with overall numbers of 73.5-15-225-14.

These are the best figures by a bowler against India in all Tests, anywhere. It just so happens that the previous best also came at the same venue when Ian Botham picked up 13 wickets for 106 runs in 1980 against GR Viswanath’s India. England won that Test by 10 wickets.

Also, when Jim Laker took 10 wickets in the innings against Australia in the Ashes in 1956, England won by an innings and 170 runs. And when Anil Kumble recreated the feat in 1999 against Pakistan in Delhi, India won by 212 runs.

Ajaz found his name on the honours board here and a mention among those in rarefied territory, but he won’t be able to take New Zealand to victory. That’s a bittersweet tale if any.

Should he and his team-mates play out the two remaining days, there can be a debate on which is a bigger miracle.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: