India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday confirmed that uncapped seamer Harshit Rana will not take part in the upcoming third Test match against New Zealand in Mumbai. According to a report by ESPN on Tuesday, Harshit Rana was added to the India squad for the third Test match against New Zealand. However, India’s coach cleared the rumours ahead of the third Test. Harshit Rana has been with India’s white-ball teams ever since a breakout Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2024 with champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in which the pacer took 19 wickets at an average of 20.15 in 13 matches.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gambhir said that Rana has not been included in the Test squad. The India head coach added that the 22-year-old has come to Mumbai to work with bowling coach Morne Morkel and prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar trophy.

He added that the team management wants to use this time and make Rana prepared for the BGT.

“Harshit Rana is not part of the squad. He has just come here to prepare for the Australia tour, Abhishek (Nayar) made it clear yesterday. IPL retention has nothing to be spoken about, we have a Test match here,” Gambhir said.

The third Test is set to begin at Wankhede, Mumbai, on Friday, the same venue where New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel famously claimed 10 wickets in an innings.

India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand Squad: Tom Latham (C), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (WK), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke, Kane Williamson, Ish Sodhi, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry.

File photo of Jasprit Bumrah© AFP

India have not added any extra player to their squad ahead of the third Test against New Zealand and also does not have any plans of resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah before the upcoming long five-Test series against Australia Down Under starting in November. Amid reports that the team management had called up Harshit Rana to train and bowl for the team ahead of the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium, there was expectation that Rana could be added to the squad just like Washington Sundar was called up just before the second Test in Pune as the Delhi medium pacer is one of the bowlers picked in the Australia tour squad.

But on Wednesday, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar clarified that not extra player has been added to squad while also confirming that they have no plans of resting Bumrah despite it being an inconsequential Test as New Zealand has already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. There has been concerns regarding the workload of Indian pacers in the last few years as many of them have broken down even during a series.

Bumrah has a history with injuries and thus there was hope that the team management would like to keep him fresh ahead of the Australia series. But Nayar said the team management is aware of his workload but feels that the seasoned pacer from Gujarat has not bowled too many overs in two Tests, which incidently ended prematurely, thus giving him some extra rest days.

“I think in the two Test matches he’s (Bumrah) bowled around 20, 25 overs. So he’s not bowled a lot. Yes, there’ll always be a thought process about his workload. Also, we played two games where we not at 5k cricket, it’s been more three, three-and-a-half days, so he could have rest. But Booms is very important to us and the workload will always be something on our mind,” Nayar said in a pre-match press conference at the wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday.

Another reason for the team management opting against resting Bumrah is that the Wankhede pitch is expected to help seamers in the first hour or so every day.

“I always believe that Wankhede will always give pace a chance no matter what, especially when Mumbai winter doesn’t feel like it. But in the morning there will be a bit of moisture, there will be a bit of dew around. So you will expect the first sessions to have a bit of swing. I’m not sure of the pitche yet because it’s covered, but if the pitch is hard, then there will be a bit of swing as well. But at Wankhede, you will always see fast bowlers with a bit of a smile on their face in the morning,” said Nayar.

He said the Indian team needs do some self-reflection after losing a home series in more than a decade.

“Firstly, I will start with giving a lot of credit to New Zealand for the way they played and countered spin in the two Test matches. I feel that though the conditions will be different with a red-soil pitch. The last time we played on a red soil, which was in Chennai, a lot of the guys have been a lot of local cricketers and they understand what these conditions are and how the pitch is going to pan out. I think it’s more about, at this level, self reflection for every player to go in and understand their game plans,” he said.

“So for us, it’s more about self reflection and what we can do as a team. There’s always advantages, but I always believe that what you’ve done in the past doesn’t really matter in the present. It’s about how you turn up on that particular day,” he added.

Virat Kohli returned with poor scores of 1 and 17 during the second Test match against New Zealand at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. In his first innings, the right-handed batter was dismissed in an embarrassing manner. Kohli was cleaned up for one run off nine balls by left-arm orthodox spinner Mitchell Santner as he missed a full toss delivery while trying to work it on the leg side. Not only the batter himself, but the commenators and the fans were also left in shock over mode of the dismissal. Reacting to it, former Australia cricketer Brad Hogg has said that Kohli was not in control of his emotions during his short stay at the crease.

“They took New Zealand too lightly and they are trying to play catch-up cricket. All of a sudden, you saw that mindset shift with Virat Kohli in the first innings of the second Test. He was more aggressive, the way he strolled out there, the way that he was trying to attack the bowling. He looked as if he overanalyzing, he wasn’t in control of his emotions and it showed in the shot that he played when he got out,” Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

Unexpectedly fallen behind 0-2 in a home series, the Indian team has adopted some desperate measures to improve its batters’ outing against spot-on New Zealand bowlers, especially the spinners, as talks about a rank-turner for the third Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has dominated the pre-match talks.

The net session at the venue reflected the state of urgency the team management is in ahead of the final Test beginning on Friday, as even veteran batters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have found the going tough in this rubber.

Ahead of the nets, they asked the staff to draw extended white lines along off and leg stumps at four practice nets, an exercise generally aimed at keeping batters aware of the line and lengths.

In the first Test at Bengaluru, the vaunted Indian batting line-up succumbed to the probing line and bounce, and in the second match at Pune they were outwitted by left-arm spinner Santner, who took 13 wickets across two innings.

More than the conventional spin, the Indian batters had no solution to Santner’s deliveries that pitched on the same spot at the MCA Stadium track but offered different results – some turning away while some straightening up.

So, it was clear that head coach Gautam Gambhir wanted his batters to enter the final Test with better preparation.

(With PTI Inputs)

India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has voiced confidence in stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, expressing faith in their return to form despite their recent struggles with the bat. He urged fans and critics alike to show patience. Kohli and Rohit’s rough patch has contributed to India’s recent struggles across formats, particularly evident during their 2-0 ODI series defeat against Sri Lanka, where both batsmen found it challenging to face spin. Their pursuit of form has extended from ODIs to Tests, as shown during the Bangladesh series and the two Tests against New Zealand. With New Zealand securing a historic series win with an unassailable 2-0 lead, attention now shifts to Rohit and Kohli, especially in their upcoming performances at Wankhede.

Nayar emphasised that effort is not lacking in either player, suggesting that it’s only a matter of time before they regain their rhythm.

“Everyone’s worked really hard; everyone wants to do well, whether it’s Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or a younger player like Shubman Gill. The effort is there,” Nayar said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“The approach is solid. They’re putting in the hard work, and sometimes, even the greatest players face tough phases. I’m certain we’ll soon have more to celebrate about Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and others. It just requires a bit of patience,” he added.

With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia commencing in Perth on November 22, Rohit and Kohli will be keen to regain form.

In India’s recent 2-0 victory over Bangladesh, Rohit managed just 42 runs across two matches, averaging a low 10.50. Kohli’s performance was also modest, with 99 runs at an average of 33.00.

The form of the veteran duo has been a significant talking point following the two Tests against New Zealand. The Indian skipper has so far scored only 62 runs, averaging 15.50.

Meanwhile, Kohli has accumulated 88 runs, including a counter-attacking 70 in the opening Test in Bengaluru.

The third Test is set to begin at Wankhede, Mumbai, on Friday, the same venue where New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel famously claimed 10 wickets in an innings.

File photo of Wankhede pitch© BCCI/Sportzpics

Former India coach Ravi Shastri has said that Rohit Sharma is too proud a man to take India’s series loss against New Zealand lightly. India lost a home Test series for the first time since 2012 against New Zealand, under Rohit’s leadership. After the second Test defeat, Rohit Sharma had asked for celebration of 12 years of no defeats rather than digging into the negatives of one series loss. However, Shastri believes that Rohit will not rest on his laurels, but will be hurting.

“Rohit Sharma is a proud man. He will not take it lightly. Let me assure you of that,” said Shastri, speaking on commentary during the second Test.

Shastri reiterated that every player in the Indian dressing room will be desperate to turn things around.

“His body language might suggest that he’s very relaxed. But deep down, he’ll be hurting and hurting big. Not just with him but with every Indian player in that dressing room,” Shastri added.

Rohit Sharma’s captaincy came under immense scrutiny during the New Zealand series. In particular, Rohit’s decision to bat first after an entire day had been washed out in the first Test was heavily criticised.

Rohit’s form with the bat has also come into question during the series. The Indian captain has managed only 62 runs in four innings.

Despite the series defeat, which ended India’s record run of 18 consecutive home Test series wins, Rohit downplayed it in the post-match press conference.

“Just because we have lost a series, I don’t think there is anything that we need to talk differently or do differently. But yeah, we need to find ways to come out of those situations,” said Rohit.

“You don’t need to overreact. But you need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what, as a team, we require from them,” Rohit added.

India take on New Zealand in the final Test from Friday, November 1.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed dissapointment with Team India’s batting during their shambolic loss to New Zealand in the second Test at Pune, which led to the hosts’ first-ever series loss at home in 12 years. Indian batters got the taste of their own medicine as the Kiwi spin attack led by Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in the match, trapped the hosts in their own spin trap and defeated India by 113 runs to secure the series 2-0 with a game to go.

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said that he felt India could pull off a surprise when Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill had a partnership going on but remarked that the latter does not have a “feel for spinners” and feels pressure while playing them on turning pitches.

“When Yashasvi and Shubman were going together, I thought that there would be a surprise around the corner. Shubman Gill clearly does not have the feel for spinners. You know batters, who can work with their footwork instinctively, he clearly is under pressure when he is playing spinners on turning pitches,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar also said that star batter Virat Kohli once again misread the length of Santner’s delivery and skipper Rohit Sharma felt underconfident on the crease against spin. He feels that the top three of India’s top four are short of confidence against spin. He feels India should have backed their defence more and not lost early wickets.

“Virat Kohli once again misread the length. The ball was much fuller than he anticipated and came back into him sharply. Rohit Sharma was not confident at the crease. There are a lot of guys, top 3 out of 4 who are short of confidence against spin. On pitches like these, you see that it is difficult to bat vs spin in first session and a half. I think that if India backed their defence a little more, things could have gotten easier. If India had not lost too many wickets earlier, this game could have been much closer with Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja being around,” he said.

Coming to the match, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. Half-centuries from Devon Conway (76 in 141 balls, with 11 fours) and Rachin Ravindra (65 in 105 balls, with five fours and a six) placed Kiwis in a strong position at 197/3, with Ravichandran Ashwin (3/41) being the only one to have made some dents into the batting. Floodgates opened for wickets after Conway’s dismissal, with comeback man Washington Sundar (7/59) getting the remaining wickets to get NZ to 259 all out.

India was tasked to overcome this rather modest total and gain a sizeable lead. After skipper Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for a duck, youngsters Shubman Gill (30 in 72 balls, with two fours and a six) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30 in 60 balls, with four boundaries) tried forming a partnership. However, their effort was cut short at 49 runs. Just like the first innings, dismissal of a set Gill paved way for Mitchell Santner to run through the Indian line up. Santner (7/53) and Glenn Phillips (2/26) made Indian batters dance to their tunes on their own pitches, skittling them out for just 156 runs. Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 38 in 46 balls, with three fours and two sixes.

Kiwis got themselves in a commanding position in their second innings. Led by skipper Tom Latham’s 86 in 133 balls, with 10 fours and some important contributions from Phillips (48 in 82 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Tom Blundell (41 in 83 balls, with three fours), Kiwis increased their 103-run first inning lead to a lead of 358 runs, being skittled out for 255 after some fine bowling on first session of day three by spinners.

Sundar (4/56) once again lead the bowling from the front, with Jadeja (3/72) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2/97) wiping the lower-middle order and tail.

In the chase of 359, India got a fine start from opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who stitched a valuable 62-run stand with Shubman Gill (23 in 31 balls, with four boundaries). However, after Jaiswal’s dismissal for 77 in 65 balls, with nine fours and three sixes, India never recovered, falling a prey to Kiwi spinners and bundled out for 245, losing the test by 113 runs. With this India also registered its first home series loss in 12 years.

Santner (6/104) was once again the star, taking 13 wickets in the match, with Phillips (two wickets) and Ajaz (one wicket) also offering some support to end the Test two days early.

Former cricketer Anil Kumble reacted to India’s disappointing defeat to New Zealand in the second Test of the series in Pune, stating that India’s batting has let the hosts down. Tom Latham‘s New Zealand side made history by defeating Rohit Sharma‘s team by 113 runs at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday, securing their first-ever series win in India. This loss marks India’s first home Test series defeat since 2012, ending an 18-series unbeaten streak–the longest home winning sequence for any team.

New Zealand now leads the three-match series 2-0, with the final game set for November 1 at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium.

Speaking to Jio Cinema, Kumble highlighted the significance of each Test match for India’s journey to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

“I think that’s the beauty of the WTC. Although the series is over for India, each Test match remains crucial. They’ve made things harder for themselves. At the start of the series, we talked about needing five wins to comfortably reach the championship final. But now, with four wins required from the next six matches, it’s even tougher, especially with one game against this confident New Zealand side at Wankhede and five more in Australia,” Kumble said.

He praised India’s bowling attack and noted that they still top the WTC points table due to the bowlers’ ability to claim 20 wickets in the series. However, he emphasised the need for India’s batters to start scoring.

“India have done exceptionally well in their last two series in Australia, but qualifying now is even more challenging. They need to get their act together. The batting has been disappointing, and though the bowling will continue to face challenges, India are at the top because their bowlers have consistently taken those 20 wickets. The batting needs to step up and deliver runs,” he added.

In the match, New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat. Half-centuries from Devon Conway (76 off 141 balls, with 11 fours) and Rachin Ravindra (65 off 105 balls, with five fours and a six) placed New Zealand in a commanding position at 197/3, with Ravichandran Ashwin (3/41) being the only bowler to make an early impact. After Conway’s dismissal, Washington Sundar (7/59) exploited the momentum, cleaning up the tail to bowl New Zealand out for 259.

India faced the task of surpassing this modest total to secure a lead. However, after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck, youngsters Shubman Gill (30 off 72 balls, with two fours and a six) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30 off 60 balls, with four boundaries) only managed a 49-run partnership. Gill’s dismissal allowed Mitchell Santner to dominate the Indian lineup, taking 7/53, with Glenn Phillips (2/26) assisting, to bowl India out for just 156, Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with 38 off 46 balls (three fours, two sixes).

In their second innings, New Zealand capitalised on their 103-run lead. An impressive 86 from skipper Tom Latham (133 balls, 10 fours), supported by contributions from Phillips (48 off 82 balls, four boundaries, two sixes) and Tom Blundell (41 off 83 balls, three fours), set India a daunting target of 359 runs after being bowled out for 255 in the first session of day three.

Sundar (4/56) led the Indian bowling attack, while Jadeja (3/72) and Ashwin (2/97) took charge of the lower-middle order and tail.

Chasing 359, India began strongly with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who shared a 62-run partnership with Shubman Gill (23 off 31 balls, four boundaries). However, following Jaiswal’s dismissal for 77 off 65 balls (nine fours, three sixes), India struggled against the Kiwi spinners and were bowled out for 245, resulting in a 113-run defeat. This series loss marks India’s first home series defeat in 12 years.

Santner, with a remarkable 13 wickets in the match (6/104 in the second innings), emerged as the standout performer, while Phillips and Ajaz Patel contributed to finish the Test two days early.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham on Saturday said the intention to fire first shots at India and winning the toss in the opening Test in Bengaluru as well as in the second Test here were key factors in their historic series win in India. New Zealand crushed India by 113 runs in the second Test here on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead but also brought an end to the most successful home run for any Test side in terms of series wins at home.

India’s defeat here at the MCA Stadium in the second Test, after losing the first in Bengaluru by eight wickets, meant their record of 18 series unbeaten at home came to an end.

“We’ve played a style where we’ve fired a shot at India and we’ve been on the right side of a couple of tosses as well, that has been really important,” Latham told the media after New Zealand’s win inside three days.

“We’ve wanted to compete and wanted to fire a shot first up. We’ve done that in both games, with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here, being able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important.” “The bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which has been very pleasing to see,” he added.

Latham, who has been a part of New Zealand’s tours to India in 2016 and 2021, said winning the toss also played a major role in Kiwis’ success.

“We’ve been on the right side of a couple of tosses. I think that (in second Test) was the first toss that I’ve won or been part of, since being here so that played a big part, especially in Bangalore,” he said.

In the rain-hit Bengaluru Test, India erred by electing to bat first as New Zealand exploited seaming conditions perfectly to skittle them out for a lowly 46, their lowest in 294 home Tests.

In the second Test, Mitchell Santner laid the foundation for New Zealand’s stunning win with 13 wickets, recording the third best figures for any team against India as well third best figures for any visiting bowler in India. Latham said his performances made the group proud.

“Mitch has been at Chennai (Super Kings) for a long time, (he is) someone who been in our group for a long time, has played a reasonable amount of Test cricket and we know how good he is,” he said.

“We know what he can produce and for him to come here and bowl the way that he’s bowled over the last couple of days, the group is really proud of him,” he said.

The New Zealand skipper said he expects India to bounce back from twin losses and the results don’t reflect their talent.

“The way that (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Rohit (Sharma) and Shubman (Gill) came out and played, they certainly put us under pressure and we knew it was going to be a hard slog to get all 10 wickets,” he said.

“It was nice that it unfolded really quickly but look, India are a quality side, they don’t become a bad team overnight or a bad team after a couple of games.

“They’ve got many match winners from 1 to 15 in their squad and sometimes it’s the game we play, sometimes you can fall on the wrong side even if you play well.

“We’ll certainly expect them to be at their best in Mumbai and the guys will be looking forward to that challenge,” he said.

Latham, who took over New Zealand captaincy from Tim Southee shortly before this tour, said it was special being a part of the group which created history.

“I’m sort of lost for words a little bit. It’s obviously an immensely proud moment for this group,” Latham said.

“We’re immensely proud to be in the position of winning two Test matches here. A lot of New Zealand teams have come here over the past 69 years, I think it is, and in 13 series, to be the first team to win a series over here is immensely special,” he added.

The third and final Test of the series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium Mumbai from November 1-5.