India vs New Zealand 2021-22, Kanpur Test: Netizens laud both teams for pulling off a thrilling draw
India and New Zealand settled for a competitive draw in the opening Test in Kanpur. Both teams were rightfully contained with the draw, while the Indian fans wished for a win as they reacted on social media.
FollowIt was an intense fight between the bat and the ball right from the start between India and New Zealand, as both the teams fought until the end but failed to bring a definite outright winner. On Monday, both settled for a competitive draw in the opening Test of the two-Test series at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
Winning the toss, India opted to bat, as it was shot out for 345, thanks to Shubman Gill's 52, debutant Shreyas Iyer's 105 and Ravindra Jadeja's 50, while pacer Tim Southee claimed a five-for. NZ managed 296, courtesy of Tom Latham's 95 and Will Young's 95, while spinner Axar Patel also claimed a fifer.
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With India earning the second innings lead, it extended it to 283, courtesy of Iyer's 65 and Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 61, while Southee and fellow pacer Kyle Jamieson claimed three each. In reply, NZ was off to a decent start, only to flutter in the latter stages to the Indian spinners.
However, the final pair did enough to save the Test. Latham top-scored again with 52, while spinner Ravindra Jadeja claimed a four-for. Following the draw, fans took to Twitter to react. While some celebrated it, some were unhappy and felt that Indians deserved to win. We present some of the top reactions, with most fans taking a jab at umpire Nitin Menon and his light meter.
The series moves to the final Test to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from Friday, which would be the vital decider, setting the pace in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 race. India has played just a couple of series in the WTC, while its last series in England remains incomplete, with a Test to go, as India leads 2-1.
