South African leg-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi recently praised India’s passion for cricket, sharing a broadcast image that captured numerous young cricketers practicing on the training pitches near Wankhede Stadium, where the third and final Test match is currently underway. Shamsi highlighted the number of practice pitches set up to nurture these budding talents, recalling his own experience at a spin-training camp in India. He remembered seeing children as young as five training for up to two to four hours every day.

“Can any country in the world compete with India when it comes to passion for the game of cricket? How many different pitches can you see here on one field? When we went there for a spinning camp, we’d see 5-year-olds coming for 2 to 4-hour training sessions every day,” Shamsi wrote on X, as broadcasters showed young children in Mumbai training tirelessly.

Tabraiz Shamsi’s tweet

Ajaz Patel’s exceptional performance at Wankhede continues to place him among the top visiting bowlers at a venue in India, with his 19-wicket tally now trailing only Ian Botham’s 22 at the same ground. Ajaz’s skillful spin bowling was on display after lunch, as he took five crucial wickets, restricting India and helping New Zealand stay competitive despite India’s 28-run lead. His efforts highlight his adaptability to Indian pitches, which have posed challenges for the Indian batting order throughout the series.

Shubman Gill top-scored with a composed 90, while Rishabh Pant added a fiery 60 to keep India afloat. Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 38 raised questions about his batting position, as India’s lineup has struggled for consistency. With the pitch becoming increasingly spin-friendly, New Zealand will look to post a challenging target, knowing that anything over 200 could make India uneasy on this surface.