India’s last Test match against New Zealand was played on December 3, 2021
A Test series between New Zealand and India returns after a hiatus of three years, with India set to play the host. The first game of the three-match Test series begins on October 16, and India is expected to keep the momentum, having recently whitewashed Bangladesh. For India, it is important to win the series if they wish to see themselves in the finale of the World Test Championship, a platform where India lost three years ago against New Zealand.
Although it can be said without a doubt that India holds an advantage over New Zealand given the Kiwis have not won a single Test series in India since 1988. As always, the spotlight will be on Virat Kohli, who is expected to play big knocks against the Kiwis, having done so in the past but failing to impress the fans and critics with the bat against Bangladesh in the recently concluded series.
Speaking about Kohli against New Zealand, his finest to date remains his 211 knock against the Black Caps in 2016, a knock worth recalling.
The first game of the series was played in Kanpur, with India winning the match by 197 runs. Back then, captain Kohli scored only nine runs in the first innings followed by 18 in the second.
For Kohli, the second game at Eden Gardens also proved to be a tricky battle as he went out again for nine in the first innings but, in the second innings, found his form back by scoring 45 runs. However, a player of his calibre needed to do more to shut the critics.
India, having won the first and second Tests, went into the third game with no pressure. However, the team had no intention of taking the foot off the gas because a complete whitewash is like a cherry on top. However, as India started its innings, the top order faltered as India lost three wickets within 100 runs. That’s when Virat Kohli realised that it was the perfect opportunity to find his form back, steer the team to a decent total, and shine again.
From there on, the Delhi-based lad played a composed innings, often rotating the strike and, in between, sending the ball to the boundary. The game witnessed Kohli spending 536 minutes on the crease, which is equivalent to nearly nine hours under the scorching sun of Indore.
Slowly and steadily, Kohli completed his century, followed by a double century, reaching 211 runs in 366 balls at a strike rate of 57.65, including 20 boundaries. Finally, Kohli fell prey to an LBW by Ajaz Patel, the bowler who took all 10 of Indian wickets in the second India vs. New Zealand Test played at the Wankhede in 2021.
The game not only witnessed Kohli’s 211 but also saw Ajinkya Rahane hitting a 188 and Cheteshwar Pujara scoring 101 runs in the second innings. However, Ravichandran Ashwin was awarded Player of the Match for picking 13 wickets across the two innings.
Having played 11 matches and 21 innings against New Zealand in Test cricket, Virat Kohli has so far scored 866 runs, including three centuries and three half-centuries. He is among the top five Indian run-getters for India, with a list comprising:
Rahul Dravid - 1659 runs
Sachin Tendulkar - 1595 runs
Virender Sehwag - 883 runs
Cheteshwar Pujara - 867 runs
Kohli only needs 134 runs if he wishes to join the 1,000-run club against the Kiwis.
