5 interesting stats to emerge after Day 3 of India vs New Zealand 2021 Mumbai Test

India are just five wickets away from winning the Test match and the series against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The home side reduced the Kiwis to 140/5 after setting them a daunting target of 540 runs on Sunday.

Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara accumulated some quick runs in the morning session of Day 3 before Shubman Gill carried on the momentum. Axar Patel played a quickfire 41* to propel India to 276/7 before Virat Kohli decided to declare the innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin gave the hosts a good start with the ball removing both openers quickly. Ross Taylor then followed suit as the visitors struggled at 55/3 before Daryl Mitchell and Henry Nicholls resisted the Indian bowlers.

Mitchell scored a fine fifty and added 73 runs with Nicholls before a wild slog ended the former's stay in the middle. Tom Blundell also gave away his wicket in an attempt to sneak a quick single as New Zealand went back to the dressing room at 140/5 at the end of the third day's play.

While Ajaz Patel continued to impress with his stellar performance, there were some other interesting stats that emerged from the third day of the Mumbai Test. Here's a list of the top five statistics of the day:

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#1. Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 50+ wickets in a calendar year most times among Indians

Ashwin completed 50 wickets in a calendar year with the dismissal of Will Young. With this, he has picked up 50+ wickets in a calendar year on four occasions (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021).

The 35-year-old off-spinner has gone past Harbhajan Singh (2001, 2002 and 2008) and Anil Kumble (1999,2004 and 2006), who achieved the milestone on three occasions each.

Former Australian spinner Shane Warne (8) has reached the landmark on most occasions, followed by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (6) and another Aussie Glenn McGrath (5).

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#2. Ajaz Patel registers best Test match bowling figures playing for a non-Asian team on Asian soil

New Zealand's left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel picked up a 10-wicket haul in the first innings of the Mumbai Test. He became only the third cricketer after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to achieve the feat in 144 years of Test cricket.

Ajaz continued the brilliant run in the second innings, returning with four wickets before India declared their innings. Overall, Ajaz registered figures of 14/225 in this Test match, which are the best figures for a non-Asian team on Asian soil.

He went past former England all-rounder Ian Botham's 13/106 that he achieved at the Wankhede Stadium way back in 1980.

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#3. Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed Tom Latham (8) most times in Test cricket

The 35-year-old Ashwin provided an early breakthrough in the second innings, dismissing New Zealand captain Tom Latham (6) LBW.

He has now dismissed Latham on eight occasions, the most by a bowler in Test cricket alongside England fast bowler Stuart Broad. Ashwin has dismissed Latham eight times in nine innings.

Overall, Ashwin has dismissed Ben Stokes (11) on most occasions followed by David Warner (10) and Alastair Cook (9).

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#4. William Somerville has bowled the most balls in a Test series against India without picking a wicket

New Zealand off-spinner William Somerville has now bowled 414 balls without taking a wicket. This is the most a bowler has gone without picking up a wicket in a Test series against India.

He went past former Australian cricketer Alan Hurst, who had bowled 312 balls without taking a wicket against India in 1979.

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#5. Ravichandran Ashwin has the most wickets in 2021

Ashwin had a good day, scalping three wickets out of the five that fell in New Zealand's second innings on Day 3.

The India off-spinner now has 51 wickets, the most by a cricketer in 2021. Pakistan's Shaeen Afridi is second in the list with 44 scalps, followed by Hasan Ali, who has 39 wickets under his belt.

Another Indian all-rounder, Axar Patel, is fourth on the list with 36 wickets from five matches.