IND vs NZ: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill to not take field in Day 3 final session due to injuries

Indian openers Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill did not take the field during the second innings of the Mumbai Test against New Zealand on Day 3 after India declared the innings 276/7 to set the visitors a massive 540-run target.

Agarwal copped a blow on his right forearm in the second innings, and has been “advised not to take the field as a precautionary measure,” a BCCI tweet confirmed on December 5. Gill, on the other hand, got a cut on his finger while fielding on the second day, and will not take the field today, the tweet added.

India, meanwhile, extender their overnight 332-run lead further after they had opted against enforcing the follow-on on the second day. Agarwal, the first-innings centurion, backed that up with a half-century (62 off 108) before perishing to Ajaz Patel, who bagged 14 of the 17 Indian wickets in the game.

Gill, who could not open in the second innings due to the injury, walked in at No. 3 after Cheteshwar Pujara edged Ajaz to first slip for 47 on the third morning. Gill made an identical score, albeit slightly quicker than Pujara, staying in for 75 balls to the latter’s 97.

Meanwhile, India showed no rush to declare as the remaining batting order continued to pile on to the misery of the visitors. No. 4 Virat Kohli struck a four and six in his 36 but chopped a Rachin Ravindra delivery onto his stumps to keep his century-hunt on.

With the overall lead past 400, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel used the license to charge against the tired New Zealand bowlers – Iyer, though, could not last for long, hitting a couple of sixes before Tom Blundell stumped him off Ajaz, whereas Axar went undefeated on 41, taking only 26 balls to reach to those before India declared on Jayant Yadav’s fall.

The highest successful chase in Test history remains West Indies’ 418 against Australia in 2003, which means New Zealand have an unprecedented task at their hands. In trying to attempt that with still two days of play left in the Test, they lost three early wickets – all to Ravichandran Ashwin.