Home
Rahul Dravid is a man of kind gestures and temperament even if things don’t go his way. On his first Test as India’s head coach, India missed out on a win by just one wicket. Despite the draw that felt more like a loss on Day 5, Dravid gave Rs 35,000 from his own pocket to Green Park’s ground staff led by Shiv Kumar for preparing a pitch that kept the match alive till the last ball was bowled.
"We would like to make an official announcement. Mr Rahul Dravid has paid Rs 35,000 personally to our groundsmen," the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) announced in the press box after the game.
Dravid has been an epitome for fair play. In recent times, Indian pitch curators have been criticised for preparing a tracks where there is no balance between bat and ball and on most occasions the game was wrapped up within three or four days. Also, it was not a pitch where batters could easily dominate for the first two days and toss almost becomes the deciding factor of the game’s outcome.
The Kanpur pitch aided both spinners and pacers. 17 out of 19 New Zealand wickets were taken by Indian spinners whereas Kiwi pacers claimed 14 out of 17 Indian wickets that fell in the Test. There were no dreadful footmarks on the pitch. However, the odd ball kept low which contributed to several wickets out of 36 in first Test of two-Test series.
In a nerve-wracking Test match, debutant Rachin Ravindra and no.11 batter Ajaz Patel managed to survive for 52 deliveries against India’s spin trio to keep India at bay. In the last session, five wickets fell but Ravindra showed maturity beyond years and applied himself well. It is the third time in Test history the last pair has kept India away from victory.
