5 interesting stats to emerge after Day 5 of India vs New Zealand Kanpur Test
India and New Zealand started their ICC World Test Championship series with an exciting draw in Kanpur. Although the home side did not have some of their top players, India took New Zealand to their limit and narrowly missed out on a victory at Green Park.
Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first. India posted a 345-run score on the board, riding on debutant Shreyas Iyer's ton. In reply, New Zealand scored 296 runs, with half-centuries from Tom Latham and Will Young each.
Wriddhiman Saha and Iyer's fifties in the second innings extended India's lead and they set a 296-run target for the Blackcaps. India reduced New Zealand to 155/9 in 89.2 overs and it very much seemed like the home team would win. However, Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra helped the Kiwis pull off a draw.
On that note, here are the top five statistics to emerge after the final day of the India vs New Zealand Kanpur Test.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin overtakes Harbhajan Singh to become India's most successful off-spinner in Tests
Harbhajan Singh congratulates Ravichandran Ashwin on surpassing him in the list of most wicket-taker in Tests for 馃嚠馃嚦
馃摲 BCCI
#India #NewZealand #INDvNZ https://t.co/GGpHP2ObZ5
Ravichandran Ashwin took six wickets in the Kanpur Test. When he dismissed Tom Latham in the second innings earlier today, Ashwin overtook Harbhajan Singh's tally of 417 wickets.
The Tamil Nadu off-spinner is now behind leg-spinner Anil Kumble and pace bowler Kapil Dev on the list of most successful Indian bowlers in Test cricket history.
#2 New Zealand snapped their 6-match losing streak in Tests on Indian soil
NZ's Last 7 Tests in India
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Drawn*
#INDvsNZ
New Zealand are the defending champions of the ICC World Test Championship. However, they had a dismal record in India heading into this Test series.
The Blackcaps were on a six-match losing streak against India in Tests on Indian soil. Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel helped the Blackcaps end that streak with a draw in Kanpur. The last time New Zealand avoided a defeat against India in India was in November 2010.
#3 Tom Latham becomes the first Kiwi batter in 18 years to score two Test fifties in the same Test in India
NZ batsman with two fifty-plus scores in a test match against India in India:
Nathan Astle in Ahmedabad, 2003
Craig McMillan in Ahmedabad, 2003
Tom Latham in Kanpur, 2021*
#INDvsNZ
New Zealand batters have not enjoyed batting much on Indian soil. However, Tom Latham batted exceptionally well in the Kanpur Test.
Earlier today, Latham completed his second half-century of the match. He joined Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan in an elite group of New Zealand batters to have scored two fifties in the same Test against India in India.
#4 Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the most successful Indian bowler in Tests against New Zealand
Most Test wickets for India against New Zealand:
58* - R Ashwin
57 - Bishan Bedi
55 - Erapalli Prasanna
50 - Anil Kumble
47 - Zaheer Khan
#INDvNZ
Ravichandran Ashwin went past Bishan Singh Bedi to have the highest number of wickets by an Indian in Tests against New Zealand.
Ashwin has 58 Test wickets in eight Tests against the Blackcaps. Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and Anil Kumble are the other Indian bowlers to have taken 50 or more Test wickets against New Zealand.
#5 Shreyas Iyer becomes the first Indian to win Man of the Match on Test debut this decade
馃嚠馃嚦 players winning MoM award in Test debut:
Pravin Amre (1992)
RP Singh (2006)
Ravi Ashwin (2011)
Shikhar Dhawan (2013)
Rohit Sharma (2013)
Prithvi Shaw (2018)
Shreyas Iyer (2021)*
#INDvsNZ
Shreyas Iyer joined the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin in the elite group of Indian cricketers to have won the Man of the Match award on Test debut.
Iyer scored 170 runs in his career's first Test. The right-handed batter will be keen to continue his excellent form in the upcoming Tests.