Openers Will Young and Tom Latham put on a 100-run partnership for the first wicket and lead a strong New Zealand reply to India’s 345 runs in the first innings of the first Test in Kanpur.
Young, who got into the playing XI only due to the hand injury to Devon Conway was sublime in his stroke play and strong in defence and scored a well-compiled half-century. On the other hand, Latham was more resilient of the two and he weathered tight spells from Indian pacers who were trying to attack his stumps and pads from round the wicket angle.
Their century partnership is the first hundred run partnership between overseas openers since the partnership between Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings in the final innings of the Test series in 2016-17.
Young looked assured on the front foot while defending and also make good use of the depth of the crease to punish short balls from Indian spinners. Both did not give the Indian bowling attack any chance to get back in the game and set the game up perfectly for New Zealand in the afternoon and final session of the second day.
India posted 345 runs on the back of a century from Shreyas Iyer and twin half-centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill.