IND vs NZ: Is Team India set to lose series at home? New Zealand have 103 run lead in Pune

It seems like the three-match Test series against New Zealand is revealing all the demons of the Indian team, especially on the road to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. After losing the first Test, the Men in Blue appear to be on the verge of losing the second Test as well, having been all out for just 156 runs and unable to match the 259 posted by the Kiwis in their first innings. With this, the hosts have given the visitors a 103-run lead at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. It looks like India could well lose this series at home.

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Day 2 saw the wickets tumble like a pack of cards, with skipper Rohit Sharma (0 off 9) losing his wicket on Day 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (30 off 60) and Shubman Gill (30 off 72) got off to decent starts but could not make the most of them. Virat Kohli (1 off 9) came to bat but could not contribute much, while Rishabh Pant (18 off 19), Sarfaraz Khan (11 off 24), and Ravichandran Ashwin (4 off 5) all departed after posting small totals.

Ravindra Jadeja (38 off 46) put up a fight along with Washington Sundar (18* off 21), but it was not enough. Akash Deep (6 off 5) and Jasprit Bumrah (0 off 3) fell towards the end, leaving India all out for 156 runs. Indian cricket fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) are now wondering if the Men in Blue are on the verge of losing a series at home.

For the Kiwis, Mitchell Santner has picked up 7 key wickets, while Glenn Phillips has 2 to his name and Tim Southee has one. The third innings has begun, and the hosts will be hoping to take quick wickets and not allow the Black Caps to build a lead that they can’t chase down.

Teams:

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, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke.

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