India vs New Zealand 2016, 1st Test: Player Ratings

New Zealand

The 124-run 1^st innings partnership between Latham and Williamson was among the positives for the Kiwis

Mitchell Santner – 7.5

Possessing a calm head on his shoulders, the 24-year old chipped in with earnest contributions in both departments of the game. A rearguard half-century in the second innings indicated his vast potential as a viable all round option. However, his bowling might still require substantial improvement if he were to outsmart well-set batsmen and leave a mark on conducive pitches.

Luke Ronchi – 7

Although his spot in the eleven did not appear to be sturdy before the start of the tour, Ronchi forced his way in with a manic century in the warm-up match against Mumbai. Having adopted a more conservative approach in the first innings, he came into his own during the second by registering the highest individual score (80) in the match from either side after being dropped on six by Vijay.

Kane Williamson – 7

With the Test series billed as the battle between himself and his rival skipper, Williamson showed why he was a notch above Kohli in cricket’s traditional format by judging the length assuredly on a difficult pitch against even more penetrative spinners. Following a robust effort in the first innings was cut short by a vicious delivery from Ashwin, he perished once again to the off-spinner’s wiles.

Trent Boult – 6.5

Under humid conditions which would have made most visiting seamers give up mentally, the left-armer managed to impress by displaying his adaptability on a surface which offered virtually nothing to his style of bowling. If the spell on the first day was any indication, then the Indian batsmen would do well by not taking the attention off him in the subsequent matches.

Tom Latham – 6

Among the positives for the Blackcaps, the left-hander batted with remarkable solidity at the top of the order for someone who did not have any prior experience on playing in India. Smothering the turn by staying on his back-foot, Latham’s utilization of soft hands earned him a fighting fifty in the first innings.

Neil Wagner – 5.5

The workhorse in New Zealand’s stable of quicks, Wagner’s whole-hearted approach would endear him to almost every captain. Extracting discernible bounce, his spell to set-up a purposeful Kohli was highly commendable.

BJ Watling – 5

Visibly struggling under the Kanpur heat and humidity, the affable wicket-keeper batsman had to relinquish the gloves at the end of India’s second innings due to tiredness. However, his work behind the stumps was pretty safe despite having to face spin for the most part. With the bat, he could not make any considerable difference to the outcome.

Ish Sodhi – 4.5

Much like his idol Anil Kumble, Sodhi‘s height could be taken advantage of in order to make the batsmen uncomfortable. If he would want to end up anywhere near the Indian legend, a marked emphasis on improving his control might be the way to go as evidenced by a lacklustre effort on a pitch suiting his strengths.

Mark Craig – 4.5

Aside from scalping the wickets of Rahane and Kohli, Craig did not have anything else to cheer about. Despite possessing a batting average of 41.85 prior to the match, he was not quite equipped to handle these conditions with a side strain making matters worse and ruling him out of the remainder of the series.

Martin Guptill – 3

Amidst plenty of doubts surrounding his usefulness in Tests, Guptill’s lean returns did not abate with a duck in the second innings placing him in further jeopardy for the next couple of matches.

Ross Taylor – 2.5

The most experienced member of the New Zealand squad, Taylor committed a rookie-level mistake in the second innings by running himself out after forgetting to slide his bat in. But, his ungainly demeanour when confronted with the turning ball might ring an even bigger alarm bell for the tourists.