India vs New Zealand 1st Test - Key Takeaways

The much-awaited India vs New Zealand Test series has begun and the hosts have witnessed a loss in the first fixture. It was a comfortable win for the Kiwis and things turned out to work in favour of the visitors.

India, who were favourable to dominate the first fixture, turned out to be a weak opposition in the first fixture. They started on the lowest note in the red-ball format and the whole batting unit fell like a house of cards at a score of 46 runs.

The betting odds on Indian betting sites speak volumes for the 2nd Test between India and New Zealand.

The advantage was with team India as they won the toss and skipper Rohit Sharma chose to bat first. However, things soon turned out to be not working in favour of the hosts as they lost their first five wickets at a score of 33 runs.

The New Zealand bowling unit was ferocious on Day 1 and that gave the advantage to the batting unit for the rest of the days. Matt Henry picked up 5 wickets at an economy of 1.13, Will O’Rourke scalped 4 wickets at an economy of 1.83.

When it came to the Kiwi batters, it was a calm and composed performance from the top order. Devon Conway scored 91 off 105 at an economy of 86.67. Rachin Ravindra’s innings became the highlight of New Zealand’s innings as he scored 134 off 157 balls.

From India’s side, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3 wickets each at an economy of 5.35 and 3.60 respectively. Mohammed Siraj scalped 2 wickets at an economy of 4.67.

Team India’s batting unit in the 2nd inning started off well with Virat Kohli scoring 70 off 102 balls at a strike rate of 82.54 from the top order. However, it was Sarfraz Khan’s innings that gave an advantage to the rest of the team. He scored a whopping 150 off 195 balls at a strike rate of 76.92.

Rishabh Pant missed out on his century by a single run and scored 99 off 105 balls at a strike rate of 76.92. Will O’Rourke and Matt Henry became the leading wicket-taker again for Kiwis in the 2nd innings with 3 wickets each at an economy of 4.38 and 4.16 respectively.

The visitors needed 107 runs to win the match and they achieved the target at a loss of 2 wickets. Rachin Ravindra turned out to be the man of the match. A 0-1 advantage for New Zealand will be a major boost for them for the rest of the series.

The cricket match prediction for India vs New Zealand 2nd Test is uploaded on our website.

Key Takeaways from 1st Test

India’s Dependency on Spin Bowling

One of the biggest advantages of India at home is their spin bowling but slowly the team is getting too dependent on their spin bowling for wickets. During the 1st Test, 55 overs were bowled among Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. These three did the major damage to the opposition and pacers, on the other hand, failed to pick early wickets. In the long run, this might turn out to be a problem for team India when they face Australia in away situations.

Rachin Ravindra - The Future of New Zealand Cricket

Rachin Ravindra turned out to be the match-winner for New Zealand in the first test. He scored 134 off 157 balls at a strike rate of 85.35 in the first inning and in the 2nd innings contributed with 39 off 46 balls at a strike rate of 84.78.

Rachin Ravindra - Test Stats for 2024

Sarfaraz Khan - The New Test Specialist for Team India

One good thing that came out from the 1st Test for Team India is the potential of Sarfaraz Khan. Considering his performance in the 2nd inning for team India, he is a wealth and a long-term investment for team India. Sarfaraz scored 150 off 195 balls at a strike rate of 76.92 and gave some breathing space to India.

Sarafarz Khan - Test Stats for 2024

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