3 Indian spinners who have a poor Test record in New Zealand
India first toured New Zealand way back in 1968. Since then, they have won five, lost 10 and drawn 10 Tests against the Black Caps in their backyard. One important thing to note is that spin has played an important role in these victories.
Historically, in Test cricket, New Zealand is among the worst places to bowl if you are a spinner. In the 21st century, the overall average for all spinners was 41.22 runs per dismissal - a number which has gone up to 47.62 in the last 10 years.
Harbhajan Singh put in a memorable performance in the 2009 series win, while the duo of Erapalli Prasanna and Bishen Singh Bedi took a combined 40 wickets to seal India's first away series win in 1968.
However, quite a few Indian spinners have struggled to create an impact. We discussed 3 such big names who could not live up to their expectations.
3 Indian spinners who have a poor Test record in New Zealand
#1 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja - India's MVP in Test cricket😍
#INDvAUS #RavindraJadeja #India #Cricket #Tests https://t.co/yMp6NKgpQN
Ravindra Jadeja is arguably one of the greatest spinners India has ever produced. The left-arm spinner has taken 259 wickets in the format at an average of 23.82, a strike rate of 58.5 and an economy rate of 2.44. However, he has not been at his best against the Kiwis away from home.
Jadeja has taken five wickets in three Tests at an average of 60.60, a strike rate of 124.8 and an economy rate of 2.91. He started as the first-choice spinner ahead of Ashwin in the 2014 tour on the back of a seven-wicket haul in South Africa and ended up having a terrible series. While the conditions were not very helpful, the all-rounder has also failed to put pressure on the opposition.
#2 Narendra Hirwani
#OnThisDay in 1988, Narendra Hirwani completed an extraordinary Test debut.
He took 16-136, match figures that remain the best ever by a Test debutant.
Hirwani finished his career having played 17 Tests and 18 ODIs for India. https://t.co/V0Mar6A8zp
Narendra Hirwani made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1988 with a dream performance. The wrist-spinner has represented India in just 17 matches across his eight-year-long career, taking 66 wickets at an average of 30.10, a strike rate of 65.1 and an economy rate of 2.77.
Hirwani toured New Zealand in 1990. He took six wickets across four innings in the series at an average of 51.50, a strike rate of 110 and an economy rate of 2.80. The Kiwi batters - most notably John Wright - did not struggle to pick up his line and length as they won the series 1-0.
#3 Anil Kumble
Most Test Wickets for India
Anil Kumble - 619
Ravi Ashwin - 459
Kapil Dev - 434
Harbhajan Singh - 417
Zaheer Khan - 311
Ishant Sharma - 311
BS Bedi - 266
Ravi Jadeja - 250*
Congratulations Jadeja on becoming 8th indian to take 250 test wickets
Anil Kumble is arguably one of India's greatest match-winners of all time. He remains the country's highest wicket-taker in international cricket. He is also the fourth highest taker of all time in Test cricket.
The wrist-spinner took 11 wickets in three matches in New Zealand. However, they came at an average of 40.27 and a strike rate of 104.4. He dealt with keeping the run-scoring under check, as an economy rate of 2.34 suggests. However, he was not penetrative enough by his standards.