Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq has opined that India should have finished off the game on the final day against New Zealand since they had big names in their ranks. Speaking on his Youtube channel, he said that he was amazed the way the Kiwis managed to drag the game well through the final day. “Not sure whether we should give credit to New Zealand or call India unlucky. It was clear even yesterday that New Zealand cannot win the match because they wouldn’t have been able to chase down the score (of 284). I feel New Zealand should be given credit for batting through the day on this pitch. I was, however, anticipating that there would be some wear and tear on the fifth day and that the likes of [Ravindra] Jadeja and [Axar] Patel would not let the batsmen play because the ball would spin,” he said.
Unlike big teams, New Zealand have no star batter among their ranks except Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. Yet, they played like an effective unit and in the end managed to pull off an epic draw. The last wicket pair of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel faced 52 deliveries! “New Zealand should be commended because apart from [Kane] Williamson, they do not have a star batter in their ranks. But they all put their hands up and put in a combined effort. It’s not that one person made a big score and continued to hold one end. Whoever came out to bat performed their duty very ably. They would have been told in the dressing room that they need to spend a lot of time in the middle and not chase after the total," elaborated Inzamam.
He said he expected better from Indian bowling line up. The hosts needed to take nine wickets on the final day, but they failed to deliver the sucker punch even after triggering a mini collapse after Tea. “On the other hand, this is a disappointment for India. I didn’t think New Zealand would have bat through Day 5 against this Indian bowling attack. India should have bowled them out. Jadeja bowled well for his four wickets but I expected a lot more from all of them. I truly believe that the match should have finished within the first two sessions," concluded Inzamam.
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