As flawed as the ICC’s ranking system is, it is the only way we have to judge the relative merits of Test-playing nations.
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Great players emerge from the nail-biting and under pressure conditions.
On bowling in India for the first time in Tests, Santner said, “The heat was something that I got used to after the warm-up games and the training”. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance as a result. “We expect very good competition and good hard-fought cricket”, Kohli said of his opposite number Kane Williamson. Apart from the arbitrary nature of picking 500 as the number to get excited about, there is no promotion or relegation in Test cricket.
The live streaming online can be watched at Starsports.com here. Congratulations to the fixture secretary, you’ve done well.
This pitch is turning, ever so progressively, and gradually the day turned to New Zealand’s favour, after India opted to bat.
New Zealand bowlers put up an impressive show on the first day of Kanpur Test as the visitors restricted hosts India on 291/9 at the end of the day’s play on Thursday (September 22).
It certainly didn’t present a potentially small target to chase for a first innings lead, given the quality of India’s spinners and a Green Park Stadium surface that will only get harder to bat on.
However, the threat of rains looms large on the opening Test of the three-match series with predictions of heavy downpour in the next six days.
Santner posed questions for the Indian batsmen, who handled Craig comparatively easily.
Vijay (39) and Cheteshwar Pujara (34) then stitched together an unbeaten 63-run partnership for the second wicket at lunch.
“The start has been good in the West Indies”. But the captain lasted only 10 balls, and was caught at short leg on 9, trying to pull a bouncer from Neil Wagner. But the Kiwi bowlers hit back, claiming eight wickets in the next two sessions for the hosts to finish the day at 291/9. The wicket of Kiwi’s captain will be the crucial one as he holds him team while on the ground.
Williamson had a good look at the wicket in Kanpur and the 26-year-old spotted a silver lining in the dry track, in the form of reverse-swing potential.
There is great chance that Rohit Sharma will get the chance in the middle order and it will be the ideal opportunity for Sharma to justify his selection.
Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin attempted a lower-order fightback as the duo began on a counter-attack on the Kiwi bowlers. And his average in the last 16 matches drops down to 23.5. He is now in this team as much for his batting as his bowling – the true hallmark of a world class all-rounder. Ashwin got one that was full and kicked up from good length as he gloved it to Ross Taylor at wide second slip. India resume day’s play on 291 for nine.
When Craig got the key wicket of Rahane early into the final session, the momentum shifted definitively toward New Zealand.
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A 3-0 win will move India to 115 points.
