“The constant drone of trumpets and conches at Green Park in Kanpur attempted to infiltrate the haze of weariness that set in from months of back-to-back cricket. The England series, the IPL, the T20 World Cup… there was simply so much of it. But what unfolded over five absorbing days of the India vs New Zealand Test was an exhibition of cricket that served, ironically, almost as an antidote to the cricket overdose.
“In the languor of winter, rhythms slowed, teams reset. Batters and bowlers settled in for the long haul — if not on the field, then on the comfortable recliners outside the dressing rooms. As the game went the distance, patience became a virtue and competitors were challenged to out-think and out-last the other.”
I covered the 2021 Kanpur Test between India and New Zealand for Firstpost:
Day 1: Shreyas Iyer turns promise into performance by seizing long-awaited window of opportunity
Day 3: Hosts’ spin attack combine plans, patience and a lot of Axar Patel to turn the screws on Kiwis
Day 4: Pressure mounts on Ajinkya Rahane even as team management continues to back him
Review: Indian bowlers found a way on challenging Kanpur surface, but batting remains a concern