India's impressive 18-series unbeaten home record was ended with New Zealand’s historic series victory. The Black Caps put pressure on Rohit Sharma’s team, raising questions about their performance. Despite a comfortable 2-0 win over Bangladesh, India couldn’t replicate that success against New Zealand.
Watch: Tom Blundell stunned as he suffers two brutal blows to face while keeping against India
By Sai Vaitla
Published - 01 Nov 2024, 04:54 PM | Updated - 01 Nov 2024, 05:02 PM
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New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Blundell had a tough day behind the stumps during the India first innings of the third and final Test match of the series. Tom Blundell took two blows to the face during the opening day of the Test match at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, November 1.
New Zealand posted a total of 235 runs in their first innings after winning the toss. Blundell failed to make an impact with the bat as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling. Daryl Mitchell (82) and Will Young (71) scored half-centuries, but other batters didn't contribute much.
Watch: Tom Blundell Suffers Blow On His Face Twice
During the first ball of the 13th over, Tom Blundell was hit on the face for the second time while keeping against India. Glenn Phillips delivered a well-flighted ball to Shubman Gill, who attempted to play it to the leg side. The ball missed the bat, took Gill's inside edge, and struck Blundell on the helmet grill.
With only about 30 minutes left in the day, Blundell went through a mandatory concussion check but decided to continue despite the repeated blows. Earlier in the 10th over, Tom Blundell was hit on the head by a ball that bounced unexpectedly from a length during an attempted sweep by Shubman Gill.
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) November 1, 2024
— Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) November 1, 2024
The New Zealand Wicketkeeper Batter's Performance In India Series
The Black Caps wicketkeeper-batter has scored just 49 runs across four innings at a disappointing average of 12.25, with a best score of 41. He has one more innings to prove himself during the ongoing Test match. Blundell could be dropped for the upcoming home Test series against England.
They're Little Bit Shell-Shocked - Tom Blundell
Speaking on SENZ Mornings, Blundell said that India underestimated his team before their three match Test series . Blundell recalled a TV slogan predicting a 5-0 summer record for India. Blundell believes India is surprised by New Zealand’s strong performance and competitive play.
"They're a little bit shell-shocked. When we first came over, I think they had a slogan on TV saying five-nil for their home summer, or something along those lines. I'm pretty sure they wrote us off coming after Sri Lanka. But I think they're pretty shocked in terms of what we've achieved, and how we've come out and competed and played some really good cricket to beat these guys - one of the best teams in the world," Tom Blundell said.
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