The Indian cricket team in Test matches abroad, off-late, tend to give away matches from vantage points, more so, for their inability to dislodge the tailenders.
Be it the Tests matches at Centurion, Edgbaston, Southampton, or Oval, India has its share of difficulties in wrapping up the tail, which often changes the momentum of the match.
India added Wellington to the list as well. New Zealand had a lead of just 60 with three wickets in hand in the first innings but ended up conceding 183 as deficit.
The likes of Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult frustrated the Indian bowlers with their array of stroke play and useful resistance.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up three wickets, in support of Ishant Sharma’s fifer, responded to India’s inability to dislodge the tailenders, lately.
“I think sometimes we pay too much (attention) to saying we need to bowl out teams far quicker. I am not saying we shouldn’t. But batsmen don’t get out anymore. Lower-order batsmen put a price on their wickets. If you were on true wicket, sometime 20-25 years ago, you will probably end up with a fifer,” Ravi Ashwin told the reporters, after India’s disappointing third day.
Ashwin gave credit to debutant Jamieson, who translated his dream One-Day debut into the Test matches as well, with his all-round skills.
After picking up four wickets in the first innings, 6’8″ Jamieson came back to haunt India with the bat and added a quickfire 44.
New Zealand ended up winning the match with a handsome 10-wicket margin, after being set a target of just 9 runs. Indians were bundled out for 191 in the second innings.
“Nowadays, Jamieson, I think he has got a couple of 1st-class hundreds if I am not wrong. His name… Patel, he can bat well. You have got to give credit where it’s due,” concluded Ashwin.
