New Zealand is known for putting up a tough fight, and this was evident on the last day of the Kanpur Test against India. All of their efforts appeared to be fruitless as they lost their 9th wicket with 8.4 overs remaining in the day. However, Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel battled out 52 deliveries to secure a tie and prevent India supremacy(IND vs NZ).
Previously in the day, New Zealand required 280 further runs to win on the last day, whereas India required 9 wickets to clinch the dramatic Test match. The hosts had wanted to send off Will Somerville quickly, but he fought bravely in the middle partnering with Tom Latham. Somerville exhibited considerable boldness in investing time in the field.
Latham, on the other hand, was at his finest again, holding the Indian spinners at range. The pair battled through the whole session without losing a single wicket to India. Furthermore, with 9 wickets in hand, Kiwis had a chance of winning the game. The home team, on the other hand, devised a strategy to capture Somerville following the lunch session.
Umesh Yadav delivered a short ball to the batsman, who pulled but was grabbed at fine leg by Shubman Gill. Kane Williamson then stepped out to form yet again another partnership. With excellent defensive effort, he and Latham were able to hang on for another 19.1 overs. The latter also reached his 2nd half-century of the Test match but was fell short of Ravi Ashwin’s bowling to make the way for India.
Ravindra Jadeja struck Ross Taylor straight in front of the wickets on the break of Tea, placing NZ at 125/4 and India quickly expecting to win the match in the final session, (IND vs NZ).
A victory for the NZ was out of the possibility, and the last session was always going to be a challenge between the Indian spin unit and Kiwi’s defence, with captain Williamson in the centre. But still, it didn’t take long for India to respond to the following tea, with Henry Nicholls being caught in front of the wickets by Axar Patel, whereas Williamson was unfortunate as the ball dropped low and was declared LBW.
NZ still had 4 wickets remaining and was required to finish the game in roughly 26 overs. This is when their toughness burst to the surface. They formed an important partnership in regards to balls received in order to keep India away. The spin combo of Jadeja and Ashwin, on the other hand, continued hitting to send back Blundell, Southee, and Jamieson.
With 8.4 overs to go and the suspense of losing light to contribute to it, it all dropped to the closing pair of Ajaz and Ravindra. The left-handed pair overcame all Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar put at them. But they survived everything, and light began to play a role.
For the 1st time in 5 days, the light improved significantly around 4 p.m., giving the hosts a chance to win. However, Ajaz and Ravindra’s defences proved unbreakable on the day, as New Zealand held on for a dramatic tie.
