STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Follow UsIt was all about Shreyas Iyer on the second day of the first Test. After ending day one with a 113-run partnership between Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja, the pair couldn’t add more as Jadeja fell for his overnight score of 50. Wriddhiman Saha followed him soon as he edged one off Southee. Ravichandran Ashwin accompanied Iyer as he reached his maiden Test century. Iyer’s innings ended soon after his century, but Ashwin’s 38 took India to a total of 345/10.
In reply, New Zealand openers have been unscathed for two sessions. Tom Latham and Will Young have forged an unbeaten 129-run opening partnership and cut-off the trail to 216 runs. The Indian spinners had to toil hard as there was not much purchase from the pitch. Just like day one, the light played a spoilsport once again and the day ended on an early note. There were few notable stats from the second day, here are a few:
16th Indian to a ton on debut
For a long time, a debut for Iyer was on the cards, an average of over 50 with a strike rate of over 80 in Tests shows how good he is. He hadn’t played a First-class match since 2019. Making his debut, Iyer was with full of confidence on day one as he registered a half-century at the fag end of the day. On day two, he continued from where he had left and became the 16th Indian batsman to score a century on debut. Interestingly, the last three including Iyer have been from Mumbai, Rohit Sharma (177) in 2013 against West Indies and Prithvi Shaw (134) against the same opponents in 2018.
Southee bags his second five-for in India
For an overseas fast bowler to excel in Asian conditions, it is very difficult. However, Tim Southee has defied the odds in this match and bagged his third five-wicket haul against India and his second in India. Overall in Asia, Southee has bagged three five-wicket hauls. He is now equaled with Sir Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Bruce Taylor in the list of most five-wicket hauls by a New Zealand bowler in India.
Battling it out
Generally, touring teams find it very difficult when they tour against India in their backyard, especially for the openers. Before this, only England in 2021 had an opening partnership that batted for 20+ overs against India in India. Prior to that, for four years no teams opening partnership had batted as long. In Tests since 2010, this was only the fifth time a team’s opening partnership had batted for 50+ overs. Presently, they have batted 57 overs, which is the second most balls faced by a visiting team opening partnership in India in Tests since 2010.
A long-time coming
It was in December 2016 in Chennai where England openers, Sir Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings forged a century partnership for the first wicket. Post that, for nearly five years and 40 opening partnerships there were no century partnerships. Today, Latham and Young became the first to break the barren streak. En route their century partnership, they also reached their respective fifties. In Tests in India, this is the third time that both openers of New Zealand have registered a 50+ score. The previous one came in the 2016 tour and the other one in 2003.
