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From seeing Rishabh Pant almost recreate a famous Gabba heist on home turf to Ajaz Patel etching New Zealand's name into history books, a mouth-watering spectacle of Test cricket was at its level-best.
When odds were stacked against New Zealand, Ajaz Patel, who has always found solace in Mumbai, a place where he was born, turned out to be the point of difference between India's success and demolishing. On a scorching day in Mumbai, when Rohit Sharma's blitzkrieg faltered, Shubman Gill failed to read the line and Virat Kohli somehow edged it to Daryl Mitchell, the Indian team was left with a need for self introspection. After 12 years, India suffered a series whitewash in a home Test series (more than one Test) only once, back in 2000, following the 25-run loss against the Kiwis. India's exposed skill set against spin marked the first instance of New Zealand winning three Tests in a series home or away and first three ever they have won three successive away Tests. The last instance India suffered such a humiliation was against a South African side led by Hansie Cronje, India lost both matches in the two-game series. On Day 3, when Wankhede felt silent and heads dropped inside the Indian camp, Rishabh Pant became the beacon of hope, rekindling the spark of a fighting spirit that had slowly dried out. With a barrage of sweep and its variations, shrouded in a veil of luck, the glimpse of India's famous Gabba victory started to echo in Wankhede. With Pant unleashing his wrath on spinners with Ravindra Jadeja perfectly playing second fiddle to the flamboyant batter, one of the elite heist in the history of Test cricket appeared in cards. Even after Jadeja edged it to Will Young, India's victory was assured till Pant stayed on the crease. But the story wasn't the one that the hosts expected it to be. Pant who certainly understood the way the bounce and spin floundered his shot against Patel's sharp spin. New Zealand appealed for a catch but the on-field umpire turned it down. Tom Latham in a moment for desperation decided to bank on his final review and asked the decision to be taken upstairs. Ultra edge showed a spike when the bat hit his pad, but there was also a spike when the ball was close to the bat and there was no gap in the replay. The third umpire decided to overturn the decision leaving Pant, cut to a dejected figure. The distraught in Pant's body language was visible after he punched the door on the way to the dressing room. The rest of the tale was a collective batting failure from the Indian side which had been a constant theme for the entire series. (ANI)
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