The first Test match between Indian and New Zealand at Green Park, Kanpur finished in a draw. The Indian bowlers toiled hard for 94 overs on the final day and even had New Zealand nine down, but failed to pick up the last wicket. In fading light, debutant Rachin Ravindra (18* in 91 balls) and No. 11 batter Ajaz Patel (2* in 23) survived 52 balls to help New Zealand draw the Test match and earn valuable World Test Championship points.
Tom Latham and night-watch William Somerville batted out the entire first session. New Zealand, 79/1 at that point, might have hoped for a win. But the Indian spinners, led by Ravindra Jadeja (4-40), came back strongly later in the day, only to be stopped by some dour batting and bad light.
Somerville demonstrated excellent technique against spin. For most of the first session, India opted for a pacer-spinner combination but failed to make break through. New Zealand added 75 before the break.
India broke through first ball after lunch, when Somerville hooked a bouncer from Umesh Yadav. Shubman Gill ran in from long leg to take an excellent catch. Kane Williamson joined Latham, who soon scored his second fifty of the match before mistimed a cut off R. Ashwin and was bowled for 52.
The two quick wickets, along with the nagging accuracy of the Indian spinners, forced Williamson and Ross Taylor to bat cautiously. They added a mere seven in the next 8.5 overs before Jadeja trapped Taylor (2) leg before. Tea was taken immediately, with New Zealand on 125/4.
India got Henry Nicholls (1) and Williamson (24) in the first six overs of the final session, leg-before to Axar Patel (1-23) and Jadeja respectively. But as Ravindra hung on at one end, Tom Blundell faced 38 balls, Kyle Jamieson 30, and Tim Southee 8 – blunting the Indian spinners bit by bit. Blundell was unlucky to be played on against Ashwin (3-35), while Jadeja turned two balls past the bats of Jamieson and Southee to trap them leg before.
That left Ravindra and Ajaz 30 minutes to survive amidst fading light. For the last few overs, the umpires continued to check the condition after every over. Ravindra demonstrated exemplary application on a fifth-day pitch against a new, hard ball, playing confidently with a straight bat.
Just when the umpires decided to call the match off, the sun reappeared out of nowhere, allowing the Indians a further three overs – but it was not to be.
Brief scores: India 345 (Shreyas Iyer 105; Tim Southee 5-69) and 234/7 decl. (Shreyas Iyer 65; Kyle Jamieson 3-40) drew with New Zealand 296 (Tom Latham 95; Axar Patel 5-62) and 165/9 (Tom Latham 52; Ravindra Jadeja 4-40). Player of the Match: Shreyas Iyer.