Not all draws are memorable, but Rachin Ravindra is certain to remember his debut after helping save New Zealand in the first Test against India.
The 22-year-old finished unbeaten on 18 and combined brilliantly with No. 11 Ajaz Patel to keep the last wicket intact through 52 balls of elite Indian spin at Green Park International Stadium in Kanpur, India, on Monday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead praised the young all-rounder’s courage under fire, and said it showed he belonged at the highest level.
Photo: AFP
“You always have those doubts when you go to that next level, but he certainly showed the composure that probably belies his age a little bit ... which is fantastic for us in the long run,” Stead told reporters yesterday. “It’s a debut game that I think he will always remember.”
“I know [batsman] Ross Taylor said at the end of the game as well, you don’t often remember draws, but that’s certainly one that he will remember for a long time,” Stead said.
“When you look at the quality of the Indian spinners as well it just, I guess, makes it even more special for him,” he added.
New Zealand, who have not won a Test series in India let alone a Test since the 1988-1989 tour, head to Mumbai for the second and final match with hope of breaking the drought.
Stead said there might be changes to the side depending on the Mumbai wicket, but defended his specialist spinners Patel and Will Somerville, who battled through a tough opener after coming in short of match fitness due to a COVID-19 disruption to their domestic season.
Somerville went wicketless for 98 runs in the match, while Patel finished with 3-150.
By contrast, India’s spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja took 17 of the 19 New Zealand wickets that fell.
“The Indian spinners in their own conditions, they probably bowl five to 10km [per hour] quicker on average than us, and that’s not always an easy thing to adjust immediately,” Stead said. “So for us, it’s about just trying to make small learnings from the way that we bowl ... and be that little bit better for the next game.”
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
RSS