Kiwis Poised for Historic Win in India

New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell expressed confidence after the first day's play of the third Test against India. The match is 'evenly poised' with India trailing by 149 runs after a batting collapse. Mitchell top-scored with 82 amidst challenging conditions favoring spinners Jadeja and Sundar.

New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell on Friday expressed confidence as the third Test against India remains evenly balanced, following a challenging day of cricket. Despite India's batting collapse, handing New Zealand the advantage after the opening day, the hosts trail by 149 runs due to Mitchell's top score of 82.

''We put a total on the board and hope to take more wickets. The game is evenly poised,'' Mitchell told the media. Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar dominated with nine wickets, leveraging favorable pitch conditions.

Mitchell acknowledged the testing conditions and expressed pride in New Zealand's approach as they strive for a historic 3-0 victory over India. Reflecting on the day's play, he admired India's strong position with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal until Jaiswal's dismissal initiated a collapse. ''That's Test cricket; it's always changing,'' Mitchell noted.

(With inputs from agencies.)