Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 31 : Ahead of the third Test against India, New Zealand batter Tom Blundell expressed that the Kiwis left the hosts shell-shocked with their performances, through which they handed India their first Test series loss at home in 12 years.
India will be looking to saving their pride as they take on Kiwis in the third Test at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. With the hosts being 0-2 down in the three-match series and having endured their first series loss in Tests at home in 12 years, they will be aiming to play out of their skins in order to avoid an embarassing whitewash.
Speaking as quoted by SEN Cricket, Blundell said, "They are a little bit shell-shocked."
He said that when Kiwis arrived to India, the country's media was rooting for hosts to win all the five Tests of their home summer and added that Kiwis were written off after their 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka away from home.
"When we first came over, I think they had a slogan on TV saying five-nil for their home summer, or something along those lines," said Blundell.
"I am pretty sure they wrote us off coming after Sri Lanka. But I think they are pretty shocked in terms of what we have achieved, and how we have come out and competed and played some really good cricket to beat these guys - one of the best teams in the world."
"I think they are a little bit shell-shocked in terms of what has happened," he concluded.
In the second Test, NZ opted to bat first and half-centuries from Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) helped the Kiwis reach 259 after Washington Sundar (7/59) delivered an incredible comeback spell to destroy the Kiwi middle order. In their first innings, India posted just 156 runs, with spinner Mitchell Santner taking 7/53 and Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with 38 runs. In their second innings, with the help of skipper Tom Latham's 86, NZ posted 255/10, with Washington picking four wickets and Ravindra Jadeja getting three. In the run chase of 359 runs, India was skittled out for 245, despite a fight put on by Yashasvi Jaiswal (77). India lost by 114 runs and NZ won the series 2-0.
NZ had won the first Test by eight wickets.
India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Dhruv Jurel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul.
New Zealand Squad: Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Mark Chapman.