New Zealand Dominates Amidst India’s Batting Collapse in Bengaluru Test

In a dramatic turn of events, New Zealand seized control of the weather-affected first Test against India in Bengaluru, courtesy of a combined bowling effort from fast bowlers Matt Henry and William O'Rourke. Their efforts skittled out the Indian batting lineup for a mere 46 runs on Thursday, marking India’s lowest Test score on home soil.

India’s decision to bat first in overcast conditions backfired as their innings was curtailed in just 31.2 overs during the second session. The visitors, led by their fast bowlers, made the most of the conditions after the opening day was washed out due to rain. Henry claimed five wickets for 15 runs, reaching his 100th Test wicket in the process, while O’Rourke took four wickets for 22 runs.

New Zealand openers made a robust start in reply, with Devon Conway setting the tone with a careful yet aggressive innings of 91 runs off 105 balls. Conway’s knock, which included three sixes and 11 fours, helped New Zealand reach 180 for 3 at stumps, achieving a lead of 134. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell were at the crease on 22 and 14 runs respectively when bad light interrupted prolonged play.

This collapse marked the third lowest Test score for India, with their previous worst being 75 against the West Indies in New Delhi in 1987. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, had no answer to the fierce New Zealand pace attack. “Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don’t,” Sharma remarked about his decision to bat first. He further expressed his disappointment, saying, “I’m hurting a little bit because I made that call… The challenges thrown at us, we didn’t respond well to.”

During India’s batting debacle, only Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to reach double figures, scoring 20 and 13 respectively. The innings began with a setback as Tim Southee dismissed Sharma in the seventh over, followed by O’Rourke’s dismissal of Indian veteran Virat Kohli for a duck. The team quickly crumbled from 31 for 3 to 34 for 7.

In the midst of New Zealand’s batting, a notable incident occurred when Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant injured his knee, causing him to leave the field. Dhruv Jurel stepped in as a substitute wicketkeeper. The mishap happened when Pant missed a stumping opportunity as the ball hit his knee. Rohit Sharma, commenting on the incident, said, “We hope that Pant will be fit to return by tomorrow.”

New Zealand, under the guidance of their new captain Tom Latham, showed resilience on the field with Conway’s impressive form. His partnership with Latham fetched 67 runs for the opening wicket, followed by a 75-run stand with Will Young before Young’s dismissal. Conway eventually fell to Ravichandran Ashwin, who bowled him on an attempted reverse sweep.