On Day 3 of the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, India took just an hour to claim the five remaining New Zealand wickets, setting themselves a formidable target of 359 after a first-innings deficit of 103 runs.
With neither team managing to breach 300 in any of the three innings so far, the challenge seemed insurmountable. However, young Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive start gave Indian fans renewed hope.
As usual, the southpaw took strike, facing former New Zealand skipper Tim Southee with the new red ball in hand. Southee nearly struck gold on his first delivery as Jaiswal slashed it toward gully, only for it to fall just short of Glenn Phillips.
Undeterred, Jaiswal remained unfazed by the close call. On the next delivery, Southee pitched one straighter, angling toward middle and leg.
In response, Jaiswal confidently lifted the ball over square leg with a powerful swing, not perfectly timed, but good enough to clear the boundary.
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This audacious shot sent a clear message to the visitors that India wasn’t going down without a fight, much to the delight of fans on social media.