Virat Kohli dismissed for 1 in India’s nightmare start to 147-run chase , Gautam Gambhir’s reaction in the dressing room captures the disaster perfectly.
India’s pursuit of 147 in the series-deciding Test against New Zealand is a crucial, must-win situation for Rohit Sharma and his team, as they fight to avoid a home series whitewash at Wankhede Stadium.
However, India experienced a disastrous beginning to their innings, losing five wickets for just 29 runs within the first seven overs. This left the crowd in shocked silence and left the coaching staff at a loss for how to respond to the unfolding situation.
The third wicket to fall was Virat Kohli, who was dismissed for 1 after Ajaz Patel managed to find his outside edge. Daryl Mitchell made a solid low catch in the slips, leading to audible celebrations from the Kiwis over this significant wicket.
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After Kohli’s dismissal and with Rishabh Pant stepping up to the crease, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir appeared visibly speechless and deeply worried about the morning’s events. With wickets falling rapidly in India’s top order, it was a troublingly familiar scenario of the team struggling with the bat throughout this series.
India, Gambhir on the Brink of Humiliating Home Whitewash
India is facing the risk of being whitewashed at home for the first time since 2000, when Hansie Cronje’s South African team defeated India 2-0 in a two-match series. For Gautam Gambhir, in only his second Test series as head coach, this outcome could mark an unwanted milestone early in his tenure.
As India began their chase, Rohit Sharma was the first to fall, miscuing a hook shot off Matt Henry that went straight up in the air. In another relatively easy dismissal, Shubman Gill followed, leaving his stumps exposed against Ajaz Patel, who bowled a delivery that went straight on.
India might have felt reasonably secure with Kohli and Jaiswal at the crease, but Kohli’s dismissal left the Mumbai crowd in concerned silence, and Jaiswal soon followed, given out LBW.
Sarfaraz Khan was the next to go, out for just two runs after sweeping a full toss directly to a fielder at square leg in a rather unusual dismissal. Rishabh Pant remains at the crease, joined by Ravindra Jadeja, with all-rounders Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin still to come as recognized batters.
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