India vs New Zealand, 1st Test, Day 1 Stats Review: Shreyas Iyer scores half-century on debut as India dominate opening day

Shreyas Iyer, 303^rd player for India to represent in Tests, scored a half-century on debut as India carried their superb T20I form into Tests against the Blackcaps. Iyer, a regular member of the limited-overs Indian team, became the 30^th Indian player to hit a half-century on debut innings in Test. He went on to score 75* and looks set to score a century in his very first Test.

Speaking of how the first day of the first Test panned out, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. Shubman Gill, making a comeback in Tests, struck his 4^th fifty in Tests to give India a solid start. Ajinkya Rahane yet again failed to convert his start as he was out for 35. Mayank Agarwal was the only batter not reaching the 20-run mark. There were three half-centurions for India on the day as Ravindra Jadeja also came into the act to remain 50* at stumps. With two players well set, India would like to go on and touch at least 400 runs mark on Day 2.

New Zealand, the WTC Champions, didn’t quite look like the winners of the ultimate test, as apart from Kyle Jamieson, who took three wickets out of a total four, nobody could perform the way they would have wanted to. Tim Southee, the ace bowler was on the economical side and even took the wicket of Pujara too. The Kiwis will like to get the wickets of well-set Iyer and Jadeja tomorrow morning to stay alive in this contest.

Meanwhile, here are the important stats and numbers from India and New Zealand first Test Day 1:

303 – Shreyas Iyer became 303^rd player to represent India in Tests.

30 – Shreyas Iyer is 30^th Indian player now to score a half-century in debut innings in Tests.

1 – Kyle Jamieson (49) is one wicket away from reaching 50 scalps in Tests.

1 – Kyle Jamieson, playing his ninth Test, can become the fastest to 50 wickets for New Zealand in Tests. Shane Bond achieved the same milestone in 12 Tests.

3 – Shreyas Iyer became third Indian player to score fifty on debut against New Zealand in Tests. Rameshchandra Nadkarni and Devang Gandhi were the other two.

2010 – Shreyas Iyer is first player to have struck a fifty on debut after 11 years in a home Test for India. Subramaniam Badrinath and Cheteshwar Pujara did it against South Africa and Australia respectively.

1 – Kyle Jamieson is playing his first Test in Asia. All his previous eight Tests have come at home and in England.

126 – Tim Southee has taken 126 wickets in away/neutral Tests for New Zealand. With Trent Boult (128) resting this series, he has a chance to surpass him and jump to number three in the list.

9 – Mayank Agarwal has gone nine innings without a half-century in Tests now. His last came against the Kiwis back in February 2020.

50* – Ravindra Jadeja equaled his highest score against New Zealand in Tests. He scored same 50* against the Kiwis in the last Test played at Kanpur in 2016.