Team India had a very good first play day but the second day was a completely different one. India only lost 3 wickets and scored close to 150 runs with captain Virat Kohli and cice-captain Ajinkya Rahane establishing a good partnership.
As soon as the second day started things went bad with India as Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were dismissed by Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Kyle Jamieson. Later the 33-year-old Rahane who was batting beautifully got out on the delivery of Neil Wagner and India was left at 182 for 6. Fans and Sunil Gavaskar were disappointed to see that the vice-captain got out missing his fifty by just one run.
Well played, Rahane. 49 runs from 117 balls including 5 fours – he has been the leading run-scorer for India in WTC and did the same so far in the WTC final. The short ball of Wagner did the trick for New Zealand. #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/SkaEVy1m5E
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 20, 2021
While Batting on 49, Rahane tried to play a pull shot and the ball went straight towards Tom Latham at square leg, he fell in the Kiwis trap as the fielder was just set up before that delivery to make Rahane play that shot. Gavaskar stated, “Only reason to get out like that was he wanted to go past 50.”
Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 49 runs
Rahane is the highest run-scorer for team India in the World Test Championship tournament he has scored 1144 runs in 29 innings at a good average of 44 and Rahane is the first and only player to cross the 1100 runs mark in the World Test Championship from the Indian team.
Rahane again was the highest run-getter for a team with 49 runs. His 49 runs contribution was a very important one as India’s tail performed poorly once again and they go all out at the score of just 217 which once looked like India will definitely cross 250 runs mark in the first innings of the final match. Kyle Jamieson was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand picking a five-wicket haul.