The last-wicket pair of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel battled grimly for 52 deliveries to earn New Zealand a thrilling draw in the first Test against India at Green Park, Kanpur on Monday (November 29).
Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel scored 18 and two runs off 91 and 23 deliveries respectively as the visitors, chasing a daunting target of 284, finished on 165/9 off 98 overs in their second innings.
The 52 deliveries stand for 10 runs was the third highest 10th wicket stand in terms of balls faced to save a match.
** It was the 23rd instance overall and second for New Zealand when the last-wicket pair saved the Test match. Simon Doull and Shayne O'Connor have done it for New Zealand against Australia at Hobart on December 1, 1997.
** The draw breaks a sequence of 14 successive results in Tests in India, the longest such streak. Between 1988 and 1994, there were 13 successive results in Tests in India. India were 12-1 in those Tests, with the only defeat coming against New Zealand in Mumbai, which was the last time they won a Test in India.
** Ravichandran Ashwin became India's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket by bowling out New Zealand opening batter Tom Latham. It was his 418th wicket in 150 innings of 80 Tests. Harbhajan Singh claimed 417 wickets in 190 innings of 103 Tests between 1998 and 2015.
Ashwin is now only behind Kapil Dev (434 wickets in 131 Tests) and Anil Kumble (619 wickets in 132 Tests).
** Shreyas Iyar became only the seventh Indian to receive the player of the match award on Test debut. He scored 105 runs in the first innings, then followed it up with 65 runs in the second.
HIGHEST UNBROKEN 10TH WICKET STAND BY BALLS TO SAVE A MATCH
(Balls - Runs - Pair - Opponent - Venue - Season)
71 - 3 - Fidal Edwards/Ridley Jacobs (West Indies) - Zimbabwe - Harare - 2003-04;
60 - 17 - Fidal Edwards/Daren Powell (West Indies) - England - St John’s - 2008-09;
52 - 10 - Rachin Ravindra/Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) - India - Kanpur - 2021-22;
30 - 19 - Mahendra Singh Dhoni/S.Sreesanth (India) - England - Lord’s - 2007;
24 - 17 - Brett Lee/Glenn McGrath (Australia) - England - Manchester - 2005.
MOST WICKETS FOR INDIA IN TESTS
(Bowler - M - I - Balls - Runs - Wkts - AVG - S/R - 5WI - 10WM - Best)
Anil Kumble - 132 - 236 - 40850 - 18355 - 619 - 29.65 - 65.99 - 35 - 8 - 10/74;
Kapil Dev - 131 - 227 - 27740 - 12867 - 434 - 29.64 - 63.91 - 23 - 2 - 9/83;
Ravichandran Ashwin - 80 - 150 - 22105 - 10261 - 419 - 24.48 - 52.7 - 30 - 7 - 7/59;
Harbhajan Singh - 103 - 190 - 28580 - 13537 - 417 - 32.46 - 68.53 - 25 - 5 - 8/84;
Zaheer Khan - 92 - 165 - 18785 - 10247 - 311 - 32.94 - 60.40 - 11 - 1 - 7/87;
Ishant Sharma - 105 - 188 - 19160 - 10078 - 311 - 32.40 - 61.60 - 11 - 1 - 7/74.
