Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Thank you for your company. It's been fun bringing the ebbs and flows of Test cricket in India to you once again. There are 12 more matches to go. Two more in this very series. The next on start at Eden Gardens in three days' time. So do join us then, and also keep a weather eye for the report, videosand stats pieces and stories from Sid Monga in Kanpur.

Also, apologies for the technical issues that we've had at times during the coverage. We appreciate your patience and hope to do a lot better in the future. Or my name ain't Alagappan Muthu (which works fine for me cause I prefer being called Al)

"Definitely, the boys applied themselves very well. Few moments we were in a spot of bother. Intitially we had moment, 100 partnership, couple of soft dismissals. Then Jadeja, Ashwin and Umesh got us 30-40 extra runs. Makes a psychological difference,"Virat Kohli says, "Still pretty early in captaincy, I look for advice from people around me, In the past we've attacked and runs have leaked. But when wickets dont fall we need to be more patient, cut the runs down, use in-out fields. Lower down the order, its the most important thing in Test cricket, all the good sides around the world have that. That's one area we are working very hard. Everyone wants to contribute. Ashwin, Saha, Mishra as well. That's a big psychological dent on the opposition, they think then can get us down before 300 but we get 330. It's a memorable Test, it's been a very good Test, from the second day onwards when New Zealand were batting relaly well we and Ashwin were chatting how we had to show good resilience to win it. Credit to the, the reason the match went on to the final day was because of the guts they showed"

"There were a lot of positives throughout the match, hopefully a few lessons as well. India outplayed us though and if we look back there was a two session period where the game slipped away from us. It would have been nice to get closer to the first innings total, and to start off restricting India to 300 on a good batting wicket was good work," Kane Williamson says, "[Ronchi and Santner[ were both fantastic, particularly today with the ball spinning sharply. The way Santner applied himself with bat and ball and the way Ronchi played coming back into the team was fantastic. It's about recovery for us [in the break, fitness wise]"

Ravindra Jadeja is the Man of the Match on India's 500th Test. "Very happy. Just preparing to do my role with the bat, give myself time and then I can play my shots. Duleep final helped me a lot, I was getting wickets in that game too, I was very confident. I'm used to bowling on such wickets, on turning tracks. That's what I was focussed on. I was enjoying myself. The wicket was pretty slow in the first innings. I think we tried and mixed the pace, fast, slow. Obviously Ashwin is a very good bowler on slow turning tracks and I would like to congratulate him for 200 wickets. I'm enjoying bowling with him, and whenever wicket was not falling we always talk about what to do. We enjoy each other's company. In the first innings, when Williamson was batting, we used to talk about bowling over or around, bowling fast or slow, etc"

"Was pretty tough at times, I think we showed if we get it, it gets a little easier. But against world class spinners, and reverse swing... ," Santner says, "First time experiencing a really turning wicket under such heat. Pretty special for me. Theres more there for the spinners, but you have to be patient. Both Jadeja and Ashwin put it on the same spot for the whole time and didn't give the batsman anything. We have to do the same and hope for the pitch to do its magic. [Little warmer than Hamilton?] Yes it is. [Mood?] Not ideal losing, but we can take some positives out of the game, but the biggest thing is getting started is the hardest. But once you're in, it gets a little easier. [Tired?] Little bit. Recovery is going to be pretty key over the next few days."

Caleb: "From a kiwi point of view - I have to say that the game was played in good spirits, the pitch was a good test pitch where the toss didn't necessarily determine the winner and both teams had periods where they outplayed the other - India just had more and were better over the five days. I'm looking forward to the next test and hope NZ can challenge India more in the next game."

"Have to be alert in the slips on these kinds of wickets with Jadeja and Ashwin bowling," says Ajinkya Rahane. "Anywhere you have to concentrate hard, switch on and off as well. But in these kinds of wickets, you have to be more alert. Sometimes on flat tracks, it may not come at you. But here half chances matter a lot. It was a lot slower, the pitch today, credit to the fast bowlers too. Shami getting those two wickets. Ashwin was fantastic of course and Jadeja contributed too. Compared to first innings, it [reverse swing] was more in the second. Momentum is important, and first match of a series is very important. Credit goes to the boys and the management"

12.55 pm India's 130th Test win, 88th at home. Led by the spinners, led by batsmen who are exceedingly good in facing spin. Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay were outstanding. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were a regular menace. The folks picking Man of the Match have a job on their hands. For those worried about commentary not updating, please switch to the tab that says "commentary" and scroll down to the final 50 overs of the final innings

New Zealand's batsmen have coped well on pitches decidedly alien to them. Kane Williamson was beautiful to watch. Tom Latham proved himself as a good option at the top of the order. Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner were revelations. They matched India for the batting. But their bowling was outclassed

Gitanshu: "India now winning their Test #300, 400 and 500. A very good fight back by the Indians after the first 2 days when NZ were on top. The session after lunch on third day was the key, especially the over by Jadeja. MoM contender here. "

Ken: "Second most LBW dismissals by a team in a test match. The record is 11 . Interesting that Ashwin called it before the match"

87.3
W
Ashwin to Wagner, OUT, pins him in front and Ashwin wraps up the 500th Test for India with his fifth ten-wicket haul as well. Sneaks in the carrom ball, pitches it on off stump, veers it into the left-hander. Wagner had no clue about the variation. He was playing for off stump and was a dead duck

N Wagner lbw b Ashwin 0 (9m 12b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

One more

1

No. of India bowlers who took more 10-wicket hauls in Tests than Ashwin who picked his 5th such haul in this match. Kumble had 8 while Harbhajan also took 5.

Lots of fifties, no centuries

2

No. of Tests which have had more fifties from batsmen without a single century, than this Test which has had 10 fifties so far.

All-round Santner

1988

Last time a NZ player scored 50 or more runs and took 5 or more wickets in a Test in India, before Santner - John Bracewell at Wankhede in 1988-89.

Steady Ronchi

2

Fifties for Ronchi in his career of 2 Tests so far, including this. He had made 88 & 31 in his debut Test and 38 and a fifty in this Test.

Second fastest

1

No. of bowlers who completed 200 Test wickets in fewer matches than Ashwin's 37 Tests. Clarrie Grimmett achieved it in 36 Tests, the fastest.

Huge target

1

No. of higher targets set by India in Tests against NZ than the 434 in this match. India had set 617 in Wellington in 2008-09.

Quick partnership

56

No. of balls in which Rohit and Jadeja added 50 runs for the sixth wicket.

Spinners doing the damage

3

No. of Tests in which NZ spinners took 10 or more wickets against India, including this. The previous 2: Nagpur 1969-70 (19 wkts) and Ahmedebad 2010-11 (12).

Enough on board?

276

Highest 4th inns total by a visiting team in India, by West Indies at Kotla in 1987-88. India's lead has gone past 300 already.

Nothing big

78

Runs scored by Kohli in Tests since his double-century against West Indies in the first Test. His scores since then being 44, 3, 4, 9, 18.

Second-wicket galore

3

No. of Tests that have had three century partnerships for the 2nd wicket, including this match. The other two: Eng v Aus, Lord's, 1953 and Aus v Pak, MCG, 1972-73.

Top-three's contribution

2008

Last time each of India's top-three made scores of 30 or more in both innings of a Test, before this - vs Aus in Mohali. This is the 5th such instance for India.

Rahul-Vijay's first

48

Previous highest opening stand between KL Rahul and Vijay in Tests, before this in 5 inns. This is the first time they have shared a 50+ stand.