Cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra lauded New Zealand seamers for pulling off an incredible performance against India. The Kiwis batters had dethroned 17 batters in the first Test, enabling them to register a massive 8-wicket win.
The New Zealand bowlers were top of their form in the first innings as they destroyed the famous Indian batting line-up by getting them all out at 46, the lowest Test score at home for the hosts. Matt Henry’s fifer and Will O’Rourke’s 4-wicket performance were key in bundling out India. Rishabh Pant (20/49) was the only Indian batter who touched twenty runs. The humiliating thing is that five of the Indian betters went out for ducks in the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin. Sarfaraz, though, had come back in the second innings strongly by knocking an incredible 150 runs, which was not enough for India to avoid the defeat.
Aakash Chopra Lauds New Zealand Seamers for Taking 17 Wickets
After the match, Aakash Chopra hailed the New Zealand seamers for taking 17 wickets on a pitch that was supposed to support spin. He was talking on his YouTube channel
“What did New Zealand do right? A telling fact was how would you try to win in India? You think you will win through spin only as there isn’t that much help for fast bowlers here. In fact, you get an extra spinner, and come with a lot of preparation. Their fast bowlers picked up 17 wickets. I think that is a massive accomplishment,” he said.
Chopra also pointed out that the pitch backed the seamers in the first innings. In the second innings, however, taking 7 of the 10 wickets by the fast bowlers was incredible, according to the commentator.
“It was still okay on the first day when 10 wickets fell as the ball was seaming and swinging. However, seven second-innings wickets also went to fast bowlers. The spinners took only three wickets. I thought that was a huge victory. We had less expectations of that happening,” Chopra observed.
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