R Ashwin's Struggles and New Zealand's Rare Victory: A Reflection on a Surprising Test Match

R Ashwin, India's renowned offspinner, rarely sees his bowling command close to 6 runs per over during a Test match in his homeland. The Test match with New Zealand was an exception, where he even surrendered his most expensive over in Test cricket, conceding 20 runs. The situation led captain Rohit Sharma to wait until defending a meagre 107 on a fifth-day pitch to engage his top spinner.

This particular match underscored how proficiently New Zealand neutralized India's top cricket strength. The combined efforts of the three spinners resulted in only four maiden overs throughout the game, revealing their lack of control following the first-innings collapse.

New Zealand's victory was a rare occurrence, given that it has been 36 years since their last triumph. Now, with 19 matches between their previous and most recent victories, they anticipate the upcoming two matches with high hopes. Their aspirations of achieving more in the series seem plausible, even against an Indian team known for its near invincibility on their home ground—an assertion that is increasingly facing scrutiny.

The Indian team has experienced as many home Test match losses in less than two years as they had in the preceding decade. Despite this downward trend, India remained tenacious. England and New Zealand had to produce extraordinary performances to win. The two centuries scored by Ollie Pope and Rachin Ravindra showcased varying tactics to tackle spin under dissimilar conditions and match situations.

This Test match will be immortalized for India's epic comeback following a sobering 46 all out. New Zealand's triumph was particularly remarkable, given their absence of captain Kane Williamson, yet their ability to mirror India's game style. The Kiwis displayed an impressive lower order, resilient batters, and robust pacers. Despite the loss, the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, remained optimistic, emphasizing the team's past successful comebacks and looking forward to the next two matches.