IND vs NZ 1st Test: India recorded lowest total at Home

IND vs NZ 1st Test: It was one of those days when, if someone was wearing a New Zealand shirt and was in the ground, surreal things would happen. The pitch seemed as though it didn’t want to give away even a single run, and catches were plucked out of thin air. The New Zealand cricket team did exactly that in the first session of the 1st Test match in Bengaluru. They were outstanding with the ball and put on a fielding display as if there were 11 Jonty Rhodes on the field—except for one moment when wicketkeeper Tom Blundell dropped Rishabh Pant on 7 off Will O’Rourke‘s ball.

IND vs NZ 1st Test: Good Toss To Lose For Visitors

Sometimes it’s good to lose a toss and leave the decision to the opposing captain. In the first Test match, the onus was on Rohit Sharma, and he chose to bat first. Perhaps his decision was influenced by the fact that India was playing three spinners, making his bowling unit more suited for the conditions expected in the fourth innings.

Tim Southee and Matt Henry opened the attack for the visitors, and the ball swung with significant lateral movement. It became clear that opting to bat first was a mistake. Rohit, in his characteristic style, tried to step out and play a big shot, but the ball swung in and rattled the stumps.

Virat Kohli, walking in to a rapturous welcome from the fans, was undone by a ball that bounced awkwardly, getting caught at leg gully by Will O’Rourke.

Sarfraz Khan, who got the nod due to Shubman Gill missing out with neck stiffness, failed to make the best out of the opportunity and was out for a duck.

The biggest partnership for India was between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, who added 21 runs for the fourth wicket. However, after Jaiswal fell to a shot on the off-side, the floodgates opened. KL Rahul (0), Ravindra Jadeja (0), and Ravichandran Ashwin (0) couldn’t even get off the mark.

The biggest talking point was Rishabh Pant‘s decision to refuse a single when Kuldeep Yadav was on the other end. Pant was dismissed on the very next ball off Matt Henry‘s delivery, sparking a debate among commentators as to why Pant chose not to take the single, considering Kuldeep is no slouch with the bat.

India’s lowest total at home

On a gloomy day in Bengaluru, the only positive for India was that they successfully managed to avoid breaking their record for the lowest total in a Test match, which remains the infamous Adelaide Test in 2020, where India was bowled out for just 36 runs in 21.2 overs. However, their 46/10 in this match still marks the biggest collapse in Test cricket at home. Before this, India’s lowest total at home was 75-all out against West Indies in Delhi in 1987.