India v New Zealand 1st Test - India Player Ratings

Not as easy as expected but yes Team India started the Test series against New Zealand at Kanpur on a winning note. The 500th Test, a significant one in the history of Indian cricket proved to be a pleasant occasion for Virat Kohli & Co.

Having elected to bat first the hosts had a really good start with the top order performing significantly. But once Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara departed the inning almost crumbled and from a position where they looked like posting a huge first innings total were folded up for just 318 runs.

The bowlers, especially the spin bowling duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja pulled things back to restrict New Zealand to 262 while the Indians still had a lead over 50. Vijay and Pujara dug in, in the second inning as well and with useful contributions from Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Jadeja in the lower middle order they declared on 377/5 with a formidable lead. The last knock for the Kiwis wrapped up while they were 197 runs short of the target but not without some resistance. Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner both scored half centuries but Ravi Ashwin was too good on the 5th day wicket.

KL Rahul – 5/10:

The team management decided to go ahead with Lokesh Rahul ahead of Shikhar Dhawan in the 1st Test. He earned his slot. The form he has been in and more importantly the positive intent with which he has played his game.

Rahul got starts in both the innings but gave away his wicket after getting in and scoring 32 and 38 runs. More than anyone he will be disappointed with himself having lost two opportunities of playing a quantifiable knock.

He will want to correct things sooner and establish himself as an able partner for the ever consistent Murali Vijay.

Murali Vijay – 8/10:

Vijay was coming into this game on the back of an injury that kept him out of the last three Tests in West Indies. He scored a fifty in the Duleep Trophy as a preparation for the series.

When he walked out with Rahul to open the inning in Kanpur, Murali Vijay looked his usual calm, composed and concrete self. He played to the situation, saw through the initial attack in both the innings and when Kane Williamson brought in the spinners he went after them and did not allow them to settle down and it paid off.

He scored 141 runs in the Test with two half centuries, he also had a century stands with Cheteshwar Pujara on both occasions. And in the end, it proved to be the partnership that shaped the game for the team.

Cheteshwar Pujara – 8/10:

There was uncertainty whether he would be picked or not after the team decided to go ahead with Rohit Sharma instead in the last couple of Tests in West Indies.

But Cheteshwar Pujara played two masterful knocks in the Duleep Trophy a 160 and an unbeaten 256 to force himself into the XI.

In this game, he stitched two crucial partnerships with opener Vijay and proved to be the backbone of the batting lineup. Pujara procured 140 runs in the game with scores of 62 and 78.

Virat Kohli – 5/10:

The skipper made a bolder decision by opting for just 4 bowlers heading into this game. He has backed his aggressive 5-bowler strategy but on a wicket that was going to spin big time from the third day if not before decided against it.

They added an extra batsman in Rohit and it turned out to be a pretty useful decision in the end and as Jadeja and Ashwin proved enough to bowl out the Kiwis quite comfortably.

Virat had the right bowlers and fielders in place along with the spot on batting order changes. But he couldn’t contribute to the team’s cause with his own batting and would definitely want to get that sorted moving ahead in the series.

Ajinkya Rahane – 5/10:

It was not an ideal game for Ajinkya Rahane, he fell early and on a bad time in the first inning and the catches he would usually hold on to weren’t sticking on.

But Rahane mended things in the second knock and scored a valuable 40 in the second inning. The vice-captain will have a bigger role to play in the coming matches.

He is an important part of the batting order and a lot in the middle order relies on his shoulders. Though not a great start to the series Rahane certainly is a key player for the team.

Rohit Sharma – 6/10:

He was considered an alternative for Pujara but the skipper decided to go with a more conventional approach and played him as the extra batsman.

Rohit took his time and looked settled in the first inning as well but threw away his wicket after scoring 35. Skipper Kohli was visibly annoyed at that moment since he wanted Rohit to make the most of this opportunity.

He made better use of the next chance and did not just score a fifty but also stayed not out on 68 to help Team India to 377/5 as they declared the inning. Rohit had a contribution of 103 runs in the game along with some sharp fielding standing close to the batsmen and this will definitely give him a lot of confidence as a Test player.

Also read – India v New Zealand, 1st Test : 5 Talking Points