Team India failed to win the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur. They lost the opportunity to gain a victory by just one wicket. It was not the first time that India had tasted such a result in the history of the format. Apart from the Kanpur encounter, two occasions previously, India failed to win the game despite taking the ninth wicket. Overall, this event has been repeated 23 times. In this article, we take a look at three instances when India failed to win a Test after taking the 9th wicket in the 4th innings.
1) India vs West Indies (1978)
Venue: Kolkata
The first occasion when India did not win the game despite taking the ninth wicket was way back in 1978. West Indies was touring India and in the third Test at Kolkata, the match ended in a draw despite the Indians doing well. Sew Shivnarine and Sylvester Clarke survived for a few overs at the end, which denied India a win. Sunil Gavaskar was in top form in that game. He scored a hundred in both innings. With the ball, S Venkataraghavan helped India take wickets consistently.
2) India vs West Indies (2008)
Venue: St John’s
The second instance when India failed to win a Test after taking the 9th wicket in the 4th innings was when the men in blue visited the Caribbean islands in 2006. Despite getting all out for 241 in the first innings, India made a strong comeback in the game. Wasim Jaffer struck a double century in the second innings to help India post a formidable target for the West Indian Team. The bowling attack, led by Anil Kumble, managed to take nine wickets but could not disturb the last partnership by Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore. Hence, India had to settle for a draw.
3) India vs New Zealand (2021)
Venue: Kanpur
The recent instance is the third occurrence in the series. India had done well to claw back into the game with a few timely wickets on Day 5. When the wicket of Tim Southee fell, India looked set for a win. However, the final partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel did not allow the Indians to get to a victory. It was a crucial subplot, especially with the game happening under the cloud of the World Test Championship.
