Seldom do India witness a Test match that goes down to the final 10 overs of the final session to decide the result.
India’s newly-appointed head coach Rahul Dravid donated INR 35000 personally to the groundstaff of Kanpur’s Green Park stadium, led by Shiv Kumar, for preparing a sporting pitch that lasted five days, producing a riveting and nail-biting encounter against New Zealand, as per a report in PTI.
“We would like to make an official announcement. Mr Rahul Dravid has paid ₹35,000 personally to our groundsmen,” the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) announced in the press box after the game.
Seldom do India witness a Test match that goes down to the final 10 overs of the final session to decide the result. And the Kanpur Test had every bit of drama – record feats, reviews overturned, close stumpings, frustrations, you name it.
The final day began with New Zealand one down for 16 on board chasing a mighty 284. No team in the world chased 276 or more against India in India in the fourth innings. And New Zealand did not look to chase history, but rather approached day 5 with absolute caution.
Tom Latham and nightwatchman Will Sommerville played out the opening session before Umesh Yadav opened the gates by dismissing the latter in the first ball after lunch.
Barring captain Kane Williamson, all struggled to settle against the spin trio led by Ravichandran Ashwin, who became India’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test history after dismissing Latham.
It was eventually down to the Indian-born pair of Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra, who showed remarkable resilience under fading light to negate the spinners and eke out a thrilling draw for the visitors.
