Ind vs NZ, Kanpur Test: Rahul Dravid Gives Rs 35,000 To Green Park's Ground Staff For 'Sporting Pitch'

Team India's newly appointed coach Rahul Dravid, felicitated Kanpur's Green Park stadium's ground staff, led by Shiv Kumar, with Rs 35,000 for preparing a sporting pitch for Ind vs NZ 1st Test.

Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid, Photo Courtesy: AFP

New Delhi: The first match of the two-match Test series between India and New Zealand ended in a draw on Monday at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

Indian-origin Kiwi cricketer Rachin Ravindra and Kyle Jamieson showed remarkable fighback under fading light and on a deteriorating pitch against India's lethal spin trio of R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel to ensure visitors walk away with a thrilling draw on the fifth and final day of Ind vs NZ 1st Test.

In the recent past, not many games on Indian soil have gone into the last 10 overs of final day but New Zealand today showed why they won the World Test Championship (WTC) final. 

Meanwhile, Team India's newly appointed coach Rahul Dravid, felicitated Kanpur's Green Park stadium's ground staff, led by Shiv Kumar, with Rs 35,000 for preparing a sporting pitch for India vs New Zealand 1st Test, news agency PTI reported.

"We would like to make an official announcement. Mr Rahul Dravid has paid Rs 35,000 personally to our groundsmen," the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) announced in the press box after the game, as per PTI.

Even during his cricketing days, Rahul Dravid was known for his fair playing spirit. Team India's head coach rewarding ground staff for pitch shows that the track in Kanpur had something both for the bowlers and batsmen, even on day five of the match.

Batters from both teams, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Tom Latham and Will Young, showcased excellent technique to score quick runs despite some sharp turn on Kanpur pitch. When it comes to Test cricket, almost every Indian pitch is prepared to support spinners but on the Kanpur pitch, even NZ fast-bowlers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson managed to extract some serious swing with the new red ball to trouble India's top order.