India v New Zealand: Tourists bat out final day to earn draw in Kanpur

Rachin RavindraBCCI

Test debutant Rachin Ravindra batted for 91 balls and 91 minutes to guide New Zealand to the close

First Test, Green Park, Kanpur (day five)

India: 345 all out & 234-7 dec (Iyer 65; Southee 3-75, Jamieson 3-40)

New Zealand: 296 all out & 165-9 (Latham 52; Jadeja 4-40, Ashwin 3-35)

Match drawn

Scorecard

New Zealand batted out the whole of day five to dramatically survive with a draw in the first Test against India.

Resuming on 4-1, needing 284 to win, New Zealand finished on 165-9 when bad light ended play with just over 10 minutes remaining in Kanpur.

Tom Latham and nightwatchman Will Somerville survived the whole morning session before the tourists slipped from 118-2 to 155-9.

Final pair Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel saw out 52 balls for the draw.

Somerville, who made 36, batted for 125 minutes and 110 balls as he put on 76 for the second wicket with Latham, who made 52.

When Latham was bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 3-35 and overtook Harbhajan Singh as India's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, it sparked a collapse, with the pitch offering significant spin and balls frequently keeping low.

BCCI

Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls both fell cheaply, before captain Kane Williamson was trapped lbw by Ravindra Jadeja, who took 4-40.

A win was always unlikely with scoring difficult, but their focus on survival intensified with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell making two off 38 balls and Kyle Jamieson five off 30 balls.

When Tim Southee fell for two, India were just one wicket away from victory but the light was closing in and the umpires were checking the reading in between every over.

Ravindra, playing his first Test, and Patel did enough to survive and earn New Zealand, who beat India in the World Test Championship final in June, a draw.

India captain Virat Kohli is expected to return for the second Test, which starts on Friday. Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested for the two-match series.

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