India v New Zealand Test series – New Zealand Player Ratings

The India v New Zealand Test series was all about the hosts. Indian skipper Virat Kohli won every toss and his team did what they were expected to, and sealed all the three Tests without much ado. New Zealand, on the other hand, couldn’t sort out their issues as they were a little too many. Right from the opening batsmen to the spin bowler no department actually was at par with the expectations. Skipper Kane Williamson wasn’t available for the second Test, the batting unit looked a boat without a sail as no Kiwis batsman had a workable plan against India’s spin bowling ace Ravichandran Ashwin. The series wasn’t played on rank turners, Kanpur gave batsmen enough opportunities, the pacers were pretty much in business in Kolkata and that Indore was a good batting track was quite evident from the fact that Virat scored a double ton, Ajinkya Rahane got 188 and Cheteshwar Pujara managed a century on day 4. It was the lack of application on the New Zealanders part that cost them the series, subcontinent conditions are tough but you need to adapt to it as quickly as possible. They definitely couldn’t do it in the Tests and will be interesting to see their approach in the upcoming ODI series. Here we rate the New Zealand players for their performance in the series. Tom Latham – 7/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) Opener Tom Latham was the best Kiwi batsman in the series, he looked certain about his game. He scored off when the opportunity was there and was also relatively comfortable against the Indian spinners. Latham started the series on a positive note with a half century (58) and after a couple of poor scores- 2 and 1 in the following innings hit back to back fifties in the last inning at Kolkata and first at Indore with 74 and 53 respectively. But he failed once again in the last inning departing for 6 dismissed lbw to an Umesh Yadav delivery. Martin Guptill – 4/10 (Photo Source: BCCI) One player whose form hurt New Zealand’s chances the most was Martin Guptill. The opener looked jittery in the first two Tests as the Indian bowlers had it easy getting rid of him at both Kanpur and Kolkata. He scored 58 runs in the first two matches with scores of 21, 0, 13 and 24. He was batting with a different stance in the 3rd Test and it worked in his favor as Guptill aimed to take the Black Caps to a strong first innings total but he got out on 72 while the business was still unfinished. In the last knock, he was dismissed for 29 and that ended a poor series for him. Kane Williamson – 5/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson ahead of the series was counted among the four best Test batsmen in international cricket at the moment with the likes of Steve Smith, Joe Root and Virat Kohli. But India’s premier spinner Ravi Ashwin exposed his inability against spin pretty much in the series as he dismissed Williamson 4 times in the 4 innings that he played. He missed out on the 2nd Test with a stomach bug. His captaincy was also far from impressive in the series but then again a leader is as good as his team and this inexperienced team definitely has a lot to learn before they impress in subcontinent conditions. Williamson had scores of- 75, 25, 8 and 27 in the series. Ross Taylor – 3/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) Ross Taylor is the senior most member in the team and it isn’t the first time that he landed in India. He also has the experience of having played the Indian Premier League and the experts expected him to be the backbone of the New Zealand batting in this series as they flew in with a rather young squad. Taylor started off the series with a duck, followed it up with 17 in the second inning of the Kanpur Test. In absence of Williamson, he was to lead New Zealand in the 2nd Test but the change in captaincy didn’t bring about a change in fortunes for the team. They were once again beaten and the skipper scored 36 and 4 runs in the two innings. Taylor was dismissed for his second duck in the last Test and all he managed in the last inning was 32. Luke Ronchi – 5/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) Luke Ronchi showed a lot of character and was more particular among the Black Caps batsmen. He wasn’t hassled by the conditions or the attack rather took the opportunity to lift his game. Ronchi also contributed in important partnerships with the lower order and in the first two Tests ensured they weren’t mere pushovers against the Indian spinners. He scored 200 runs in the series and those were 200 absolutely worthy runs. He is definitely an asset for the New Zealanders as they are trying to get together a unit for the future. BJ Watling – 5/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) BJ Watling definitely had a tough time behind the wickets since he isn’t usually standing that close to the stumps for that long a duration but he did a fairly good job. He seldom missed a chance and was definitely good against the pacers. But that isn’t all that he is expected to do in this team, in an inexperienced lineup every contribution matters and the New Zealand team management expected him to play a role with the bat as well. Watling with 21, 18, 25, 1, 23 and 23 did ensure the lower order didn’t just crumble but should have played a few more substantial knocks to have an impact with the bat as well. But that isn’t all that he is expected to do in this team, in an inexperienced lineup every contribution matters and the New Zealand team management expected him to play a role with the bat as well. Watling with 21, 18, 25, 1, 23 and 23 did ensure the lower order didn’t just crumble but should have played substantial knocks to be a force with the bat as well. Mitchell Santner – 6/10: (Photo Source: BCCI) If there was a player of the series to be awarded from either side Mitchell Santner would have been the player from New Zealand. More than what the numbers show and suggest Santner had specific and noteworthy impact in the three Tests. He was not just good with the ball in both the innings at Kanpur with 3/94 and 32 runs in the first inning and 2/79, but also scored 71 runs in the second inning. He was the best bowler for them with the ball as he troubled the Indians the most. Santner bowled good lines and wasn’t easy to be hit around, he continued his impressive from in the second Test and picked up 4 wickets. But didn’t make a significant contribution with the bat. The left-arm spinner found it a little difficult to get to terms with the surface in Indore and was hit for plenty while scalping just 1 wicket in the 3rd Test. Jeetan Patel – 5/10: Jeetan Patel. (Photo Source: BCCI) Having tried leg-spinner Ish Sodhi in the first Test the Black Caps switched to the off-spin of Jeetan Patel for the last two games and he did not disappoint the selectors. He had favorable conditions and wickets to bowl on though should have done better and should have led the spin bowling charge his overall performance was considerably good given the fact that he isn’t used to bowling on such tracks. Patel had figures of 2/66, 0/50, 2/120 and 2/56 in the series. The New Zealand bowlers weren’t quite able to impose and sustain pressure on the Indian batsmen for durations long enough to produce wickets. The pressure was let out by loose deliveries and that reduced the overall impact. Trent Boult – 6/10: Trent Boult. (Photo Source: BCCI) Trent Boult was undoubtedly the standout pace bowler in the series. It was just by his own abilities that he managed to have an influence in all the games. He never let the Indian openers off the hook and on most occasions gave New Zealand the opening wicket. Boult was greeted with an average wicket in the 1st Test but returned with figures of 3/67 in the first inning. Kolkata where the pitch and the conditions favored spin bowling he troubled the Indian batsmen much and got a couple of wickets in the first and three in the second innings. On most occasions, Boult did his share of things but didn’t find enough support from the other bowlers to actually have the Indians pinned down. James Neesham – 5/10: James Neesham. (Photo Source: BCCI) James Neesham was troubled with injury and made it to the team only in the last Test. In the very first inning, he walked out to bat when half of their batters were back in the hut with not even 150 runs on the board. Ravi Ashwin was in the middle of a very good spell where he eventually went on to scalp 6 wickets but Neesham knew what he wanted to do. Jimmy Neesham held his ground and challenged the Indian bowlers with some good shots. He stayed at the crease for 115 balls and scored 71 runs hitting 11 boundaries. He had a resistant partnership with Ronchi and got the tail to contribute along as well. They ended up with 299 runs in that inning and that was New Zealand’s highest team total in the series. Neesham didn’t have the best outing with the ball and was dismissed for a naught in the second inning by Ravindra Jadeja. Matt Henry – 5/10: (Photo Source: BCCi) Matt Henry with his express pace was expected to be effective on Indian conditions though the ball wouldn’t swing early reverse swing was definitely in the game. He was picked in the team for the second and the third match. While the Kolkata Test where the ball did more than a bit was successful for him as he troubled the batsmen with pace, bounce and movement to return with figures of 3/46 and 3/59 in the two innings he didn’t open his wickets tally in the last Test and that was a bit disappointing from the team’s point of view given that Boult at the other end, was picking wickets. Neil Wagner – 5/10: (Photo Source: BCCi) Niel Wagner was the most courageous of the New Zealand bowlers. He ran in hard and if there was no movement in the air or off the wicket hit the deck hard to stun the batsmen with the bounce he generated. Wagner has the ability to surprise them with the pace and coupled it up well to further increase his effectiveness. He had a relatively good series with 5 wickets in 2 Tests given that they are playing in the subcontinent further enhances the value of his contribution. Ish Sodhi – 4/10: New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi. (Photo credit PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images) New Zealand team management trusted Ish Sodhi for just one game, the first Test in Kanpur. The leg-spinner who was among the leading wicket-takers in the World T20 played in India earlier this year. Sodhi had the class to test the Indian batsmen on turning wickets but the Black Caps decided to replace him with off-spinner Jeetan Patel in the following two games despite the fact that he picked 1/50 and 2/99 in the 1st Test. (The players who dind’t play or didn’t have a substantial contribution in the only game they played have been excluded.) Also read – India v New Zealand Test Series – India Player Ratings

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