5 things that happened for the 1st time during the India vs New Zealand 2021 Test series
The India vs New Zealand 2021 Test series is done and dusted now. India extended their winning streak in the home Test series to beat the reigning ICC World Test champions 1-0 in the two-match series.
The first match of the Test series took place at Green Park in Kanpur. India were just a wicket away from winning the match, but a solid batting performance from Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra denied the home side a victory.
The action shifted to Mumbai, with Virat Kohli returning to lead India. The home team totally dominated the Kiwis at the Wankhede Stadium to record a massive 372-run win. It was India's biggest win by runs in Test cricket history.
Several other records were broken during the Test series, while a lot of firsts were achieved. On that note, here is a look at the five things that happened for the first time in the two Tests.
#1 A team got bowled out for less than 75 runs in a Test on Indian soil
New Zealand register the lowest ever Test total in India.
#India #NewZealand #INDvNZ https://t.co/hagJ204qXf
The pitches at Indian stadiums have been great for batting. The spinners receive help from the surface, but teams have managed to post decent totals on the board.
India hosted its first Test back in 1933. In the last 88 years, not a single team has lost all its wickets for less than 75 runs in an innings on Indian soil. But New Zealand got all out for 62 runs in the first innings at the Wankhede Stadium and set a new record for the lowest all-out total in Tests on Indian soil.
#2 A bowler ended on the losing side despite taking 10 wickets in an innings
In Test cricket
Highest score in losing cause - Ricky Ponting馃嚘馃嚭 (242)
Best figures in losing cause - Ajaz Patel馃嚦馃嚳 (10/119)
India have won both these matches.
#INDvNZ
Ajaz Patel became the first New Zealand player to scalp 10 wickets in a single Test innings. However, his efforts were not enough to help the Blackcaps win the match in Mumbai.
Anil Kumble and James Laker were the only bowlers to take 10 wickets in one Test innings before Patel. Both bowlers ended up on the winning side when they accomplished that unique feat. However, Patel's team suffered their biggest defeat by runs in Test cricket history.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin's unique achievement during the Test series
Fewest runs conceded by an Indian spinner while taking 4+ wickets in a Test innings:
8 - R Ashwin v NZ, today
10 - Harbhajan Singh v SA, 2010
11 - Ravi Shastri v SL, 1987
12 - Venkatapathy Raju v SL, 1990
13 - Harbhajan Singh v WI, 2006
#INDvNZ
Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a dream spell of 4/8 to help India bowl New Zealand out for 62 runs in the first innings of the Mumbai Test.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder became the first Indian spinner to end a Test innings with four or more wickets while conceding less than 10 runs.
#4 An Indian player scored a 100 and a 50 on Test debut
Only four Indian cricketers have scored 50-plus in each innings of debut Test match:
Dilawar Hussain 1934
Sunil Gavaskar 1971
Shafali Verma 2021
Shreyas Iyer 2021
And Shreyas Iyer is of course the first Indian player to score 100 & 50 on Test debut. Quite the feat.
Shreyas Iyer made his debut during the first match of the India vs New Zealand Test series. The right-handed batter slammed a magnificent ton in the first innings and followed it up with a half-century in the second innings.
Courtesy of his excellent performance, Iyer became the first Indian to score a century and a half-century on Test debut.
#5 A substitute Indian wicket-keeper executed a stumping
Stumped by a substitute in Test cricket:
Tip Snooke馃嚳馃嚘 off Neville Tufnell馃彺鬆仹鬆仮鬆仴鬆伄鬆仹鬆伩, 1910
Pervez Sajjad馃嚨馃嚢 off Bevan Congdon馃嚦馃嚳, 1965
Tom Latham馃嚦馃嚳 off Srikar Bharat馃嚠馃嚦, today
#INDvNZ
Wriddhiman Saha faced some injury issues during the first game of the Test series. KS Bharat kept the wickets instead of him at Green Park.
In that match, Bharat stumped out Tom Latham and became the first substitute Indian wicket-keeper to stump a batter in Test cricket history.