The New Zealand team earned a hard-fought draw on the final day of the first Test match against India at the Green Park in Kanpur. Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra survived 52 balls in a 10th wicket partnership that snatched a draw from a certain defeat.
Needing 280 runs on the final day, the Kiwis came out with a plan on blocking and playing for a draw. They survived the first session without any loss of wickets as Tom Latham and William Sommerville batted through the entire morning session.
Umesh Yadav struck on the very first ball after lunch when he dismissed Sommerville. Soon after, Latham’s fighting knock also came to an end and India got another wicket in the middle session, that of Ross Taylor on the final ball before Tea.
It was all down to surviving for the Kiwis with their six remaining wickets. The home side managed to firmly wrestle the momentum, however, as a flurry of Kiwi wickets fell in the final hour. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets between them, doing the bulk of the damage.
The drama wasn’t over yet. Ravindra, playing his debut Test, joined hands with Ajaz to dig in and managed to bat out the remaining 52 balls before bad light ensured that play ended 10 mins early.
The umpires made regular checks in the last few overs to ensure that the light was fair enough to play, increasing the tension in the arena. The Kiwis were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when it was confirmed that no more overs could be bowled. The teams now move on to the second Test that will be played in Mumbai.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the final day of 1st Test between India and New Zealand:
Anyone else watching #INDvsNZ?
How good’s test cricket?— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) November 29, 2021
The best !!!! Love test cricket. The #ashes is only 9 sleeps@away on @FoxCricket Hurry up already ❤️ https://t.co/OjjedjcDwK
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) November 29, 2021
I love that there can be such excitement in the anticipation as we all watch and wait…#INDvsNZ #anentertainingdraw
— Mpumelelo Mbangwa (@mmbangwa) November 29, 2021
Fascinating game of ebbs and flows, NZ reiterated why they are such a hard aide to beat. India will be disappointed at falling just short, but they can be proud of how they plugged away on a slow track. #NzvInd
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) November 29, 2021
A perfect Test match!
What a fabulous performance from both teams to give us this thriller.
Looking at the brighter side, #TeamIndia will be really happy to see the way @ShreyasIyer15 and @ashwinravi99 have performed? #INDvNZ #DKommBox pic.twitter.com/z6K6ljO9zb— DK (@DineshKarthik) November 29, 2021
Draw Wins #INDvsNZ
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) November 29, 2021
The Great Escape. Phenomenal fight from NZ. There’s merit in five day test cricket. There’s magic in hard fought draws. You know if you know. Not enough life in the wicket, but enough life in the match. #IndvNZ
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) November 29, 2021
Incredibly gutsy performance. Proud of all you lads! @BLACKCAPS #INDvNZ
— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) November 29, 2021
Anyone else watching #INDvsNZ?
How good’s test cricket?— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) November 29, 2021
@BLACKCAPS upheld the spirit of the game. Zero waste of time while trying to take the test match to Draw. #GentlemensGame
— QrioCT (@MyQrioCT) November 29, 2021
You both played wonderful Ra(Hul) (Sa)Chin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel. Indeed a World Test Champions #KaneWilliamson#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/EGuQVmbwdO
— Aalia Bhatt (@KaliaBhatt) November 29, 2021
If today you:
Procrastinated till lunch
Slowly picked up the pace post Lunch
Tried to do most of the work post Tea, but narrowly missed the deadline..Well you're just like the Indian cricket team ? #INDvsNZ
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 29, 2021
Young Rachin Ravindra is an excellent prospect for New Zealand. Great exhibition of Skill, Grit & determination?
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) November 29, 2021