2nd Test: India vs New Zealand at Mumbai, Dec 03, 2021
India won by 372 runs
India 325/10 (109.5) & 276/8 (70)
New Zealand 62/10 (28.1) & 167/10 (56.3)
RR: 2.96
Last 12 Balls: W . . . . . | . . W
Batsman
Runs
Balls
4s
6s
Last Wicket: Ajaz Patel 0(5)
Ravichandran Ashwin | Man of the series : I think I've got 10 Man of the series awards now. I enjoyed Wankhede honestly, and everyday there was something new, and I could challenge both edges. It was a wonderful performance by Ajaz. It doesn't spin all the time in Wankhede, and he used the seam and put the ball in the right places, and there was a bit of destiny involved in his 10-for too. Jayant and I have trained together, he flew to Haryana in 2014 to pick my mind, so we have a good relation. Axar and I have played since Kings XI. I would like to go to South Africa and win a series there, we haven't done that before, and hopefully we can do it this time.
Mayank Agarwal | Man of the match: It feels good to be back among the runs and this knock is special for me. I didn't change anything from Kanpur, I just had the mental discipline and determination. The technique isn't going to be the best all the time, it won't guarantee runs, but the will to fight is key. Rahul bhai told me about not thinking of technique mid-series and told me this is the technique that's got me runs. Sunny sir said I should keep my bat low early on in the innings and open up my left shoulder. I didn't really think about the second hundred in the match, but should have converted the sixty. We will relish the abroad challenge in South Africa, so we're looking forward to that too
Rahul Dravid | India coach - Good to finish the Test series on a winning note, came very close in Kanpur, but couldn't take that last wicket. Credit to the team, they have pulled themselves back from tough situations and were a bit disappointed at not finishing it off in Kanpur. Good to see the boys step up and take their opportunities, we were missing a few seniors, but the youngsters have taken their chances. Jayant (Yadav) found it difficult yesterday but came up well this morning. A lot of these guys don't get the opportunity to play a lot (of Test cricket), but it's nice to see them do well, especially the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal, Axar Patel and Jayant. That gives us a lot of choices opening up when the seniors do return. We didn't need to think about it (about a possible declaration), we had a lot of time and we knew we could bowl them out. Also, a lot of youngsters needed the chance to bat in challenging conditions - to play on red-soil wickets, with this kind of bounce, it'll only help them grow as players, especially when they travel and play in different conditions. We knew we had enough time to bowl them out once again. It's a good situation to be in (on team selection), we had some injuries in the lead-up to this game, that's something which will challenge us. The boys are playing a lot of cricket, in different formats, and we need to ensure the work load on them. But everyone is challenging for places, that's good to see with the amount of cricket coming up. But it is a good headache to have.
Rachin Ravindra: I think it is amazing to be sharing the ends with this great man (Ajaz) here. But amazing to learn from and see what he did in the first innings. That was something incredible and something we won't see for a very long time. That's probably the most nervous I have been under the high ball (referring to Ajaz's 10th wicket) and it was spinning so much, I was obviously crapping my pants.. but all credit goes to Ajaz for picking 10 wickets. I could see all my teammates celebrating and it was a pressure catch.
Ajaz Patel - A big occasion for me and my family, to be able to do that here in Mumbai is very special. A lot of hard work has gone for me (going into the Test). Have spent plenty of time in isolation and need to recover. A different challenge back home, but that's the beauty of Test cricket - different roles, different challenges and need to bowl in a different manner. I can't express in words, something in my career which was an overwhelming moment, have a lot of people to thank for when I go back home. Feel lucky to have achieved something special
Shreyas Iyer - It was a memorable series, a great first match to remember for me (in Kanpur). I'm really proud of the way I did (bat). I'm not really thinking about it (about cementing a permanent place in the team), there are so many players who are in really good form, I hope to be more consistent going ahead. He (Rahul Dravid) has given me a lot of confidence, having started off with India A, we have gelled well, he has chipped in with ideas really happy working with me - have had great brainstorming sessions both on and off the field. Looking forward to having a great day (his birthday today)
