IND vs NZ 2021: Don't Think We Could Have Done Anything Different - Ajinkya Rahane After New Zealand Escape With A Draw In Kanpur
Published - 29 Nov 2021, 06:41 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:01 AM
Ajinkya Rahane, India‘s captain for the Kanpur Test, said that he and his players tried their best to pick the last New Zealand wicket but were unable to do it as Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra batted out for 52 balls to avoid a loss for the visitors.
The Kanpur Test went down the wire after it had looked like it was heading for a draw when opener Tom Latham and nightwatchman William Somerville denied India their second wicket in the first session.
However, the bowlers turned up in the next two sessions to have New Zealand 9 down with an hour to go, but failed to pick the final dismissal.
“I tried my best. Very good game of cricket, they played really well. We came back really well after the first session,” Ajinkya Rahane said at the post-match presentation.
Ajinkya Rahane talks about the late declaration on Day 4
Ajinkya Rahane was quizzed whether he regrets the late declaration. The stand-in skipper said that they needed to ensure a safe total before declaring the innings and would stick with his decision.
“We wanted to get that partnership going. We were looking to bowl 5-6 overs in the end, but we needed that partnership to carry on. I don’t think we could have done anything different,” he commented.
He also hailed Shreyas Iyer for his magnificent debut: Iyer, chosen later as Man of the Match, became the first Indian to score a century and a fifty on Test debut.
“I am really happy for Shreyas. Had to wait a long time for his debut. The way he is batting, he is having great first class cricket,” he added.
The second Test starts on December 3 in Mumbai, where India will welcome back regular captain Virat Kohli.
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