India head coach Rahul Dravid said that the team had timed their declaration well in the first Test against New Zealand and the partnership between Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel was a crucial one. New Zealand managed to force a draw with their last wicket pair of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel playing out 52 balls.

Dravid’s former India team mate and fellow batting great VVS Laxman said after the game that India should have declared earlier than they did on Day 4 and that may have made a difference in the outcome of the match.

“I don’t think so. That’s not my reading of the game,” Dravid, who took over the coaching role earlier this month, said when asked if India had delayed their declaration too long.

“Till half an hour before we declared, we were under pressure. All three results were possible, to be very honest with you. I thought we timed that declaration really well. We needed that partnership which was critical for us – from 167-7 to get to 234-7 was absolutely necessary,” Dravid said of the Saha-Patel stand.

India were 51-5 in the second innings before Shreyas Iyer stitched 50-plus partnerships with Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha to prop up the innings.

Saha also added 67 runs with Axar Patel before India declared, leaving New Zealand to play the last four overs on Sunday.

“If they were chasing 240 to 250 in approximately 110 overs, then they’re looking at 2.3 runs per over. That’s not a lot of runs on the last day if a couple of batsmen get set. I thought we did it well, we timed it well. We managed to get a wicket yesterday and we came very close today,” he said.