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India was pegged on the backfoot by the Kiwi quicks on Day 3 of the World Test Championship (WTC) in Southampton. Resuming another rain-delayed day with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease, India were primed for a stiff total only for Kyle Jamieson to send the Indian skipper and Rishabh Pant packing.
Rahane didn't last long either after a shorter delivery from Neil Wagner did him in. The Indian vice-captain had a solid start in the WTC final with a well-compiled 49 but missed out on a well-deserved fifty.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took over with the latter cracking 22 off 27 balls, striking three fours during his stay. But Tim Southee, who has had an out-of-sorts run so far, had him taken in the slip cordon by Tom Latham.
WTC Final: What is the ideal first innings total for India?
With the scorecard reading 211 for 7, and Jadeja still batting on a track that has proved that there's enough for the pacers to extract swing and pace, India will be happy if they get anywhere between 270 to 300.
Much of the runs that come at this juncture will most likely come at a quick clip. Kohli and Rahane laid the groundwork, but Pant's dismissal pushed India back.
Ashwin looked at ease, but was tempted to take a swipe at an outswinger and all he could do was watch as second slip took a sharp catch.
Will India's bowlers have an advantage?
To answer in a word: Yes. The seaming and swinging conditions will help the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to be among the wickets. Compared to the famed Indian batting lineup, NZ have three important wickets and India will look to prise all of them out early as the WTC final challenge continues.
Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Devon Conway will be in the bowlers' minds and their quick scalps will give India the upper hand.
Much can be learned from how Jamieson and Wagner went about their lengths. At the time of writing, the duo had five wickets between them with Jamieson picking up three and Wagner claiming two wickets.
Catch live updates during the WTC final by clicking here.
Looking forward for Shikhar Dhawan's captaincy! - Yuvraj Singh in an exclusive Interview with SK
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