INDIA vs NEW ZEALAND 2021: Rahul Dravid and Gary Stead will be rivals again after 22 long years!

INDIA vs NEW ZEALAND 2021: Coaches Rahul Dravid and Gary Stead will square off once more when India takes on New Zealand in the first Test of the two-match series on Thursday at Green Park in Kanpur.

Unlike Dravid, Stead did not play in the Tests for a long time. In actuality, he only played five matches during his career, scoring 278 runs at a 34.75 average. In eight Test innings, the 49-year-old struck two fifties.

Stead played one of his five Tests in India, during New Zealand’s 1999 visit of the country. The third Test of the three-match series was won 1-0 by India.

The Ahmedabad Test is significant because it was here that the famous Sachin Tendulkar scored his first double century. Since the former India batsman made his Test debut a decade ago, it had been a long time coming.

Tendulkar, who captained the Indian team, scored 217 runs, with Sadagopan Ramesh and Sourav Ganguly also reaching double figures, as the hosts batted first after winning the toss. India declared on 583 for 7, but New Zealand fought back valiantly to force a draw.

In Ahmedabad, Dravid did not have a memorable Test. In the first innings, he scored 33 off 64 balls and was run out for 12 off 20 balls in the second. He did had a decent series, hitting 239 runs at an average of 39.83 in three Tests, with a top of 144.

Anil Kumble

Stead, on the other hand, played a crucial role in New Zealand’s Test victory. Anil Kumble bowled him for 17 in the first innings, but he responded with a resolute 78 in the second, which remains his career-best Test score.

Read more: Cricket News: Mike Hussey says “Why am I leaving one of the world’s safest places?”

Visit also: Aakash Chopra has picked his Indian XI for the first Test against New Zealand starting on Thursday in Kanpur IND vs NZ 2021

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