India vs New Zealand First Test: 5 Talking Points

The India vs New Zealand Test ended on Monday at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur with the hosts emerging triumphant with a margin of 197 runs. It was a convincing effort by them, led by Ravichandran Ashwin, who once again showed his prowess with the ball, picking up a 10-wicket haul in the game and breaking the barrier for the fastest Indian to 200 Test wickets.

Here are the five talking points from the Kanpur Test:

5.Luke Ronchi’s counterattack

After New Zealand had lost both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in the final session of Day four, they needed someone to see out the last bit of proceedings. Enter Luke Ronchi, who from the word go, showed the kind of application needed on a turning pitch, mixing his defense with attacking hits to the fence when the chance came, to ensure his side didn’t throw in the towel.

He put on 102 runs for the fifth wicket with Mitchell Santner, before falling to Ravindra Jadeja’s spin, for a 120-ball 80, that had 9 fours and a six.

With Martin Guptill failing to perform in both innings, Ronchi has made himself a strong candidate to open the innings in the Kolkata Test starting on Friday and if he does get that opportunity, he will look to deliver at the top of the order as well.

4.Murali Vijay and Chesteshwar Pujara provide solidity

Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara were the rocks for India(Photo courtesy: BCCI)

In three out of India’s four overseas trips between December 2013 to January 2015, India found themselves a wicket down on several occasions early on in the innings. However, stability was restored back courtesy two Indian players- Murali Vijay and Chesteshwar Pujara- who ensured that India didn't crumble further.

The duo were at it again in the Kanpur Test, after KL Rahul fell cheaply in both innings, putting on hundred run stands in to provide India the solidity they needed at that stage.

Both Vijay and Pujara also scored fifties in both innings of the game and will look to carry that run of form into the Kolkata Test as well, that begins on Friday.

3.Mitchell Santner’s fighting effort

Mitchell Santner impressed one-and-all with his performance(Photo courtesy: BCCI)

On a pitch that had become a raging turner by the end of Day four, the New Zealand batsmen found the going tough against the duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. But one man stood out for his ability to remain patient and grind it out.

Playing his first Test on Indian soil, Mitchell Santner had shown earlier what he could do with the ball in hand, but it was with the willow in the second innings that he made everyone stand up and take note of him as a cricketer.

The left-hander made a superb 71, combating the spin of Ashwin and Jadeja with an assurance of a pro and putting the loose ball away as and when he found the chance, to all but guarantee himself a place in the starting XI for the Kolkata Test starting on Friday.

Santner’s lower-order batting will come as good news for Kane Williamson and his ability to hang around in the middle will be an even bigger plus point for the Blackcaps.

2.Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round show

Ravindra Jadeja put in a fine all-round performance(Photo courtesy: BCCI)

If there is a player, who has shown the most amount of improvement for India in Test cricket in the past 12 months, it is Ravindra Jadeja. The 27-year-old all-rounder made a comeback into the Indian setup for the series against South Africa last year and picked up 23 wickets in 4 Tests and also made valuable contributions with the bat lower down the order.

He played just one out of the four Tests in the Caribbean but was back in his elements in Kanpur, first scoring an important 40 in the first innings that propelled India to 318 and then picking up a five-wicket haul with the ball in the visitor’s first innings.

In the second innings, Jadeja once again made an important half-century and backed that performance by taking the wicket of Luke Ronchi in the second innings to round-off a Player of the Match performance.

With two more Tests in this series and 9 more until the start of next year, Jadeja surely has the chance to further enhance his reputation as a match-winner for India in the longer format of the game.

1.Ashwin spins his magic on the Kiwis

Ravichandran Ashwin was India’s best performer in the Test(Photo courtesy: BCCI)

If there is a player who has had the most consistent run in terms of performances in Test cricket for India in the past 12-15 months, it is Ravichandran Ashwin. The 30-year-old was once again in his elements in the Kanpur test, picking up a 10-wicket haul, including a six-wicket spell in the second innings that paved the way for a comprehensive Indian win against the Blackcaps.

En route that spell, Ashwin also became the second fastest bowler to 200 Test wickets and the fastest Indian to get to the landmark. He admitted on Sunday it was from the start of the Bangladesh tour last year that he began to enjoy his bowling and he will hope that this amazing run that he is in at the moment, stretches on for a few more months.