Newly-appointed Indian Team head coach Rahul Dravid shared his views on the team’s slow batting on Day 4 in Kanpur Test and also because of that, it cost them the game. However, New Zealand has successfully survived the final day of the Kanpur Test.
While they lost their 9th wicket in the 90th over of the innings, the last pair of Rachin Ravindra (18* off 91 balls) and Ajaz Patel (2* off 23) successfully survived 8.4 overs to register a draw for the Kiwis.
While speaking at the post-match conference, Dravid added: “That’s not my reading of the game. Half an hour before we declared, we were under pressure. All three results were possible. Wriddhiman Saha showed great courage and character to be batting with a stiff neck. (But) If we had lost our last three wickets quickly and they were chasing 240-450 with approximately 110 overs, then they are looking at 2.2 or 2.3 runs an over.”
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Rahul Dravid, however, said that India declared at the right time when they felt the target is enough to fight as well. However, Wriddhiman Saha (61*) and Axar Patel (28*) stitched an unbroken eight-wicket stand of 67 runs and set a target of 284.
He further shared: “We needed that partnership (between Saha and Axar Patel) we got. We lost Shreyas (Iyer) just before Tea and then we had that partnership. From 167 for 7 to get to 234 for 7 was absolutely necessary. As you saw, this wicket is really flat. If it was turning square and bouncing, that would have been a different situation.”
Although India failed to win the Kanpur Test, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin went past Harbhajan Singh’s tally of 417 Test wickets and became the third-highest wicket-taker for India as well.
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Praising the veteran off-spinner for his achievement, Rahul Dravid commented: “Harbhajan Singh was a really fine bowler, someone I played a lot of cricket with. What Ashwin’s done to go past him in just 80 Tests is a phenomenal achievement. Ashwin has been an absolute match-winner for India. Even in this Test, the way he pulled us back on that third morning with that spell of 11 overs was phenomenal. Today, just to keep us alive in the game, constantly be threatening on wickets like this, is a tribute to his skill and ability.”
“He has just evolved, he keeps growing and is one of those guys who keeps thinking about the game. That is why he has got where he has. It is a pleasure to work with him and I’m really happy for him,” Rahul Dravid concluded.
