India Player Ratings as New Zealand pull off sensational draw in 1st Test
A resolute batting display in the final hour helped New Zealand draw the first Test against India, who roared back into contention with a flurry of wickets in the fourth innings.
In a match characterized by bad light, poor umpiring and varying playing conditions, the Kiwis had to dig deep after being reduced to 155/9 in the third session on Day 5. But Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel weathered the Indian onslaught to secure a draw and four valuable World Test Championship points.
Here are India's player ratings from the first Test against New Zealand.
1st India vs New Zealand Test: Incredible Iyer shines on debut
Mayank Agarwal: 3/10
Mayank, who has an exceptional home record with two double centuries and one century, had a difficult outing in Kanpur. He was dismissed fishing outside off in both innings as his famed spin-hitting prowess was restricted from being on show. The opener will hope to retain his place for the second Test, with the management's steadfast refusal to drop Ajinkya Rahane putting his spot in danger.
Shubman Gill: 6.5/10
Gill's fifty on the opening day helped India recover from Mayank's early wicket but the manner of his dismissal - in the second innings as well - was unbecoming of an opening batter. Bowled through the gate twice in the match, the youngster proved once again that he is more suited to the middle-order role he was supposed to play before KL Rahul got injured. His stellar catch on Day 5 helped India claim a massive breakthrough.
Cheteshwar Pujara: 3/10
Pujara endured another poor Test match, with the corridor of uncertainty claiming his wicket in the first innings before a seemingly harmless short ball found his glove in the second. The Indian No. 3 is under pressure to justify his place in the side.
Ajinkya Rahane: 2/10
Rahane scored 35 in the first innings to rekindle hopes of him returning to form, but a characteristically poor shot to a nothing ball outside off saw him chop on. He was a sitting duck in the second innings as his familiar spin woes came to the fore, and his captaincy was bizarre at times. Apart from a declaration that had no intent before it, Rahane's involvement as leader was a series of strange bowling changes that didn't get the most out of the players at his disposal.
Shreyas Iyer: 9.5/10
Iyer's debut couldn't have gone any better. He occasionally rode his luck but notched up a pristine hundred in the first innings, occupying the crease with confidence and taking on the spinners when needed. Coming into bat with India in a tricky situation in the second essay, the No. 5 batter played a fighting hand that helped his team claim an unattainable lead, becoming the first from the country to register a hundred and a fifty on Test debut.
Wriddhiman Saha: 7/10
Saha was impressive behind the stumps while he was out there, with a neck niggle restricting his minutes on the field. After a loose dismissal in the first innings, the keeper stroked a calm fifty to help India further their lead.
Ravindra Jadeja: 8/10
Jadeja added another Test fifty to his glowing batting resume in recent years, although he was outfoxed by Tim Southee in the second innings. He wasn't at his best with the ball as he failed to extract stages at key points of the Test but roared back to life on the final day, scalping four wickets to nearly take India to a sensational comeback victory.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 9/10
Ashwin was at his imperious best in Kanpur even though the wickets column did not reflect the same. Constantly challenging the batters and bowling teasing lengths, the wily off-spinner scalped three wickets in each innings and racked up a total of 70 runs as well.
Axar Patel: 8/10
Axar recorded another five-wicket haul, running through the New Zealand batting lineup in the first innings. He managed only one on the final day but bowled economically throughout, not giving the Kiwi batters any respite. The all-rounder's partnership with Saha was also crucial to the outcome of the match.
Umesh Yadav: 7/10
Umesh was impressive whenever he was thrown the ball by Rahane, which was often when it wasn't ideal for him to be bowling. Despite that, the pacer got the ball to talk and claimed a couple of key wickets in the match, including that of Williamson in the first innings.
Ishant Sharma: 2/10
As his opposition counterpart Tim Southee shone, Ishant couldn't generate a similar amount of movement. The experienced Indian pacer improved in the second innings but ended the Test wicketless.