India left frustrated after bad light costs them first Test win against New Zealand
Frustrated India were left one wicket short of winning the first Test against New Zealand that ended in a dramatic draw yesterday.
Chasing a target of 284 for victory on the final day, New Zealand slumped to 155-9 with nearly nine overs to go and an upbeat India were pressing for victory in fading light.
But Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel batted resolutely to deny India and guided the Blacks Caps to 165-9 when bad light forced play to be stopped 10 minutes early.
Asked about his chat with the umpires when the light was being checked, India captain Ajinkya Rahane said: “As a fielding team, you want to bowl more overs, as a batting unit you don’t want to bat in that situation.
“The chat was about the light, but umpires made the call and I thought they were right.”
Ravindra was unbeaten on 18 runs, while Ajaz faced 23 balls to score two not out. The last-wicket partnership saw off 52 deliveries to deny India victory late on the fifth day.
Ravindra Jadeja (4-40) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3-35) shone with the ball for India, but it was New Zealand’s unbroken last-wicket partnership which saved the match for them.
“It has been touch and go throughout this Test,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said after the match, when Tom Latham top-scored for his team with 52.
“The Indian side is a formidable one, they were on top for the large part, but we hung around. All three results were in play but we fought hard and showed the fight on the last day.”
Home batsman Shreyas Iyer was named man of the match for smashing a century and a fifty on his debut Test, while Ashwin moved past Harbhajan Singh’s 417 wickets and up to third on India’s all-time list behind Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434), with 419.
The left-handed Latham and nightwatchman William Somerville denied India a wicket in the first session as the two put on 76 runs for the second wicket.
Somerville, who joined Latham after Will Young fell to Ashwin in the final session on Sunday, scored 36 off 110 balls but departed soon after lunch off fast bowler Umesh Yadav.
Latham, who made 95 in New Zealand’s first innings total of 296, moved from his overnight two to another half-century but fell to the off-spinner Ashwin.
Jadeja struck at the stroke of tea to send back Ross Taylor for two and got Williamson’s prized scalp for 24. Axar Patel had Henry Nicholls dismissed leg before and the middle order put up little resistance as Ashwin bowled Tom Blundell.
Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee helped Ravindra eat up 11 overs before falling to Jadeja and there were just 10.4 overs remaining in the day.
The umpires checked fading light repeatedly but play carried on until the dramatic call-off with approximately two overs remaining.
Both sides earned four points for a draw in the World Test Championship. The second and final Test begins in Mumbai on Friday.