The last time India played New Zealand at Wankhede, India won that match by 372 runs.
After a convincing 2-0 series win over India in Pune, New Zealand will be looking for a similarly turning pitch for the third and final Test at Wankhede Stadium. However, according to TOI, the pitch for the Wankhede Test, starting on Friday, is not expected to be a rank turner.
On Monday, Ashish Bhowmick, the chief pitch curator of the BCCI, along with elite panel curator Taposh Chatterjee, held a meeting with Wankhede curator Ramesh Mamunkar to evaluate the pitch.
“It will be a sporting track. Right now, there’s a bit of grass on the pitch. It’s expected to be good for batting on Day 1 but should offer turn to spinners from Day 2,” a reliable source told TOI.
In December 2021, India faced New Zealand in the final Test at Wankhede and achieved an impressive victory by 372 runs. The pitch favored spin bowlers, and India batted first, scored 325 runs. They then bowled New Zealand out for just 62 runs. With a substantial lead, India declared their second innings at 276 for 7, setting a target of 540 for New Zealand, who were ultimately bowled out for 167 in their final innings.
Ravichandran Ashwin had a great match, took 8 wickets. New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel also made news by getting 10 wickets in the first innings and 4 wickets in the second, finishing with a total of 14 wickets.
India’s loss in the Test series against New Zealand will hurt, as it ended their unbeaten home run after 18 series over 12 years. However, the last match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Friday is important because there are 12 important World Test Championship points to win, so it’s more than just a game for pride.
After the tough defeat in Pune, India is taking a cautious approach. The dry pitch was fully used by Mitchell Santner, and Indian batters struggled to deal with the problems caused by the Kiwi left-arm spinner, whose balls either turned or went straight.
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