IND vs NZ: Indian fans react to review wasted on nightwatchman Mohammed Siraj

Not what Indian fans wanted! Mohammed Siraj was sent in to bat towards the end of Day 1 after the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal, but he hardly made any difference to the score, getting sent back on the first ball he faced. What shocked everyone was that the two players in the centre of the pitch decided it would be a good idea to take a review on a clear-cut LBW and waste it on a nightwatchman.

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In the 17.2 over, Ajaz Patel first dismissed the set batter Yashasvi Jaiswal for 30(52)[4s-4], and soon after, he got the better of Siraj—the nightwatchman—on the very next ball. Siraj was seen pondering and chatting with his partner before deciding to go for a review. The ball struck him on the knee roll and crashed into the top of the off stump; with three reds, Siraj was given OUT. Umpire Gough got another decision spot-on, and Ajaz achieved a double wicket maiden.

Soon after this decision was made, fans took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to question whether it was necessary to waste a review on a nightwatchman and why Team India thought it would be a good idea to send a number 11 batter in that role.

Nothing went in favour of India after that, as Virat Kohli came in, hit a boundary, and then attempted a cheeky single. However, he was sent back by a direct hit on the stumps for 4(6)[4s-1]. In the blink of an eye, 78 for 1 became 84 for 4 at the end of Day 1. For now, the Men in Blue are 149 runs behind New Zealand's first-innings total of 235.

Earlier in the day, Ravindra Jadeja's 5-wicket haul and Washington Sundar's 4 wickets ensured that New Zealand didn’t run away with a big total. Daryl Mitchell fought valiantly for the Black Caps, scoring 82 off 129 balls in the scorching heat of Mumbai. Besides him, Will Young contributed with 71 off 138 balls. Skipper Tom Latham, after opting to bat first, scored 28 off 44 balls.

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Devon Conway fell cheaply for 4 off 11, while Rachin Ravindra departed for 5 off 12. Glenn Phillips added 17 off 28, while Tom Blundell (0 off 3), Ish Sodhi (7 off 19), Matt Henry (0 off 2), Ajaz Patel (7 off 16), and William O'Rourke (1* off 1) fell like a pack of cards.

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

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