India Collapse to 46 in Stunning Test Defeat Against New Zealand
In an unexpected turn of events, India was bowled out for just 46 runs on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, marking one of the most shocking collapses in their cricketing history. After the first day's play was washed out due to rain, India's decision to bat first backfired dramatically on a seamer-friendly pitch. This total now stands as India’s lowest in a home Test match and the third-lowest in their Test history overall.
The pitch conditions, under covers for nearly two days, favored the New Zealand fast bowlers from the start. India’s batting lineup crumbled in the face of relentless seam bowling, with Matt Henry leading the attack, claiming 5 wickets for just 15 runs, and his bowling partner Will O'Rourke snatching 4 wickets for 22 runs. Only two Indian batsmen, Rishabh Pant with 20 runs and Yashasvi Jaiswal with 13, managed to reach double figures, as wickets tumbled rapidly around them.
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Big names in Indian cricket such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin failed to score a single run. Kohli's early dismissal for a duck, after facing just 12 deliveries, epitomized the batting collapse that left the hosts with no chance to build momentum.
New Zealand, in response, capitalized on India's dismal performance, reaching 180 for 3 by the end of the day's play, giving them a lead of 134 runs. Devon Conway stood out with a confident 91 off 105 balls, guiding the Kiwis to a dominant position in the match.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma admitted to a misjudgment regarding the conditions, acknowledging that the decision to bat first was a costly error. "I’m hurting a little bit because I made that call... We got bowled out for 46, and as a captain, it definitely hurts," Rohit stated, reflecting on the disastrous innings.
With the odds stacked heavily in favor of New Zealand, India will need to fight back hard to salvage anything from this Test. Their bowlers will need to produce something special to restrict New Zealand’s lead, and the batsmen will have to put on a much-improved display in the second innings to have any hope of turning the match around.
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