It was a competitive draw between India and New Zealand in the opening Test in Kanpur. India dominated Day 5, while some records were scripted as well, as we take a look.
India and New Zealand gave it all and settled for a draw in the opening Test of the two-Test series at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. On Monday, the Kiwis survived an assault from the Indian spinners, while thanks to bad light, it helped NZ secure a draw. Meanwhile, some records were scripted on Day 5, as we take a look.
Tom Latham dominates with half-centuries
Latham scored another half-century in the second innings. Consequently:
- He is the third Kiwi after Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle to achieve the same in both innings in India.
- He is the first opener since 2011 to do so in India.
- He possesses the fifth-best average and the best for a Kiwi by a non-Asian opener in Asia in the 21st century (40.20).
- He has also faced the most deliveries by a Kiwi player in a Test in India (428).
- He has fallen to Ravichandran Ashwin on the second-most occasion in the format (7) after Stuart Broad (8).
Ashwin pips Harbhajan Singh
Ashwin has now claimed 419 wickets for India in Test cricket. As a result:
- He has surpassed Harbhajan Singh (417) and became the third most successful bowler for the side in the format after Kapil Dev (434) and Anil Kumble (619).
- He has become the most successful bowler against the Kiwis in the format for India (58), going past Bishan Singh Bedi (57).
- He is the most successful Indian bowler after 80 Tests, besides being the second overall after Muttiah Muralitharan (450).
Ajaz Patel-Rachind Ravindra do a magical one
Ajaz and Ravindra faced 52 deliveries as the final pair to force a draw, which is the third most by the last couple in a Test after Fidel Edwards-Darren Powell (60) and Fidel Edwards-Ridley Jacobs (71).
ALSO READ: IND vs NZ 2021-22, Kanpur Test - Kiwi batters survive Indian spinners, hold on for nail-biting draw
India stranded
- It was the third instance of India stranded away from a win by a wicket, with the other two instances being Windies 298/9 in 2006 and Windies 197/9 in 1978.
- It was also the second Test in India, with both teams batting over 80 overs in all four innings, while the other was against NZ in 2016.
NZ scripts a special
- NZ is on a ten-Test unbeaten run, its best run to date, bettering its previous three best instances of nine.
- Moreover, this Test saw the joint-most dismissals through leg-before against India (6), along with NZ in 2016 and Windies in 1994.