Team India Coach Rahul Dravid: Team India had to be content with a draw in the Kanpur Test match. She missed the win by just one wicket. Team India lost the chance of victory, for this the team’s slow batting on the fourth day is also being attributed. However, the head coach of the team, Rahul Dravid does not agree with this.
Dravid said in the virtual press conference after the match that my understanding of the game does not say so. We were under pressure for half an hour before declaring the innings. At that time all three outcomes were possible. He said that Wriddhiman Saha showed amazing spirit and courage and batted even after having a neck stiffness. Had we lost 3-4 wickets early, New Zealand would have chased 240-250 runs in 110 overs. It would have been hardly 2.2 or 2.3 runs per over.
Dravid said that the Indian team declared their second innings after counting. The team calculated that the time of danger was over and only then they declared the innings.
Coach Dravid said that we needed that partnership (Saha and Axar Patel). Shreyas Iyer was out just before tea. After that we had a partnership. We went from 167/7 to 234/7. It was very important.. As you have seen, this wicket was absolutely flat. Had it been spin and had bounce, the situation would have been completely different.
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