New Zealand’s number 11 pair of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel held their nerve to ensure New Zealand play out a dramatic draw in the first Test match at Kanpur. A brilliant show by the Indian spinners was not enough to ensure victory for Ajinkya Rahane & Co. as bad light brought an early close on day 5 too.
On the final day, Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three scalps. Both Axar Patel and Umesh Yadav took one wicket each. Ravindra and Patel batted for almost nine overs to play out a draw as New Zealand ended their innings at 165-9 in the chase to the target of 284.
Ravindra, who was making his debut in Test cricket has become an instant hero in New Zealand with his incredible batting effort on the final day. He batted 91 balls on a challenging Day 5 pitch in Kanpur to ensure New Zealand remain level in the series going into the last game.
Earlier in the day, Tom Latham scored a half-century for the visitors while skipper Kane Williamson batted for 112 balls to score 24 runs. The Black Caps’ nightwatchman William Somerville played an incredible innings to score 36 runs in 110 balls. Latham and Somerville ensured New Zealand did not lose a single wicket in the first session on the final day.
Apart from the spinners, debutant Shreyas Iyer was the hero of the game for India with a splendid century in the first innings which was followed by a half-century in the second. Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill also scored a fifty in the first innings while Wriddhiman Saha did the same in the second innings.
Axar Patel continued his excellent start to his Test career with another five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s first innings. India had taken a 49-run lead after the first innings.
For New Zealand, Latham scored a half-century in both outings. In their first innings, Will Young also played a brilliant knock of 89. Tim Southee took a five-wicket haul in the first innings while Kyle Jamieson took three wickets both times India walked out to bat.
The teams will now move to Mumbai for the final game of the series. The second Test match will begin on December 3 at the Wankhede Stadium with all to play for in the series.
