OTD| Kapil Dev made his last Test appearance in 1994

In this article, we will discuss the On This Day | Kapil Dev’s last Test appearance in 1994. Kapil Dev is one of those names because of whom Indian cricket has scaled great heights. It was his genius that made India the world champions. The 1983 World Cup victory changed Indian cricket forever. The former India captain put an exclamation mark on his legendary career on this day in 1994. He played his last Test match against New Zealand at Hamilton. 

First Innings

Ken Rutherford won the toss for New Zealand. The home team elected to bat first. But the Indian team proved their decision wrong by wrapping up their first innings for just 187 runs. It was a shambolic batting outing from the Kiwis. Apart from skipper Rutherford none of the batters could cross the 50-run mark. Kapil Dev got one wicket in the first innings whereas the rising star Javagal Srinath ended up as the leading wicket-taker with four wickets. 

In reply, India scored 246 runs and took the lead to get an edge in the Test match. However, the lead could have been more if the Indian batters had applied themselves better. Multiple Indian batters got the start but none could make it big. The Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin was the highest scorer for India with 63 runs to his name.

Second Innings

The Kiwis improved their batting performance in the second innings. They showed much more resolve and brought themselves back into the game. Opener Bryan Young, Ken Rutherford, and Stephen Fleming scored significant half-centuries to lead New Zealand to 368 runs before declaring the innings. Just like the first innings, the Indian veteran who was playing his last Test got one wicket. India had to chase a challenging target of 310 runs to win the match.

The Indian team went for the draw as there was not much time left in the match. India batted for 59 overs and scored 177 runs before both captains agreed to a draw. Navjot Singh Sidhu missed his century by just a couple of runs. The former India captain bid farewell to Test cricket with this draw and left a long-lasting legacy behind.