India vs New Zealand 2016: Mumbai draw with New Zealanders in three-day Warm-Up game

The only warm-up game that the visiting New Zealand side were bestowed with ahead of the Test series against India ended in a draw on the third and final day, with Luke Ronchi adding a Kiwi name to the list of players to have scored a century in the game, and New Zealand getting bowled out for 235 in their second innings. This puts to a close New Zealand’s endeavours, as far as getting the much-needed match practice is concerned, ahead of the first Test in Kanpur, which will also be India’s 500^th Test match.

Beginning the day at 431/6, Mumbai lost two quick wickets in the morning session before eventually declaring their first innings at 464/8, thereby gaining a lead of 140 runs over the Kiwis who had declared their first innings at 324/7.

New Zealand’s second essay was marred by a poor start, as after losing Martin Guptill for a duck, who opened the innings with Ronchi, Mitchell Santner and Doug Bracewell, who were promoted up the order in order to get some batting practice, couldn’t hold the fort for long and were dismissed for scores of 8 and 17 respectively.

In the meantime, however, Ronchi soldiered on, scoring freely against the Mumbai bowlers. Out of the 64 runs that were put up by Ronchi and Bracewell for the third wicket, only 17 were scored by the latter. Henry Nicholls (1) couldn’t get going either, and at one stage, NZ were 91/4 and were trailing Mumbai by 49 runs with six wickets in hand.

Thenceforth, another surprise batting order promotion – Trent Boult – hung around for a while and stitched together a 47-run stand with the wicketkeeper-batsman to neutralise the run deficit for the visitors. Ronchi brought up his 100 off 107 balls with 15 fours and 2 sixes to his name.

BJ Watling, the other wicket-keeper batsman, who would be competing with Ronchi for a place in the Test side, also contributed with a knock of 43, while the regular opener Tom Latham, who batted at No. 8, made 25 before retiring out. Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain, did not bat in the second innings.

Parikshit Valsangkar picked up three wickets for Mumbai, while Siddhesh Lad and Vijay Gohil chipped in with two wickets each. Earlier, Mumbai, riding on a hat-trick of centuries by Kaustubh Pawar, Suryakumar Yadav and Siddhesh Lad had finished on 431/6 at Stumps on Day 2 in reply to NZ’s first innings total of 324/7 declared.

Brief Scores: New Zealanders 324/7 and 235 (Ronchi 107, Watling 43, Valsangkar 3/41) drew with Mumbai 464/8 (Yadav 103, Lad 100, Sodhi 2/132)