Bengaluru Test: Bowled out for 46, India concede control on rare off-day at home
India (IND) vs New Zealand (NZ), 1st Test: India had a rare off-day in a home Test. The hosts were bowled out for 46, their lowest Test total in familiar conditions. New Zealand sealed a 134-run lead after Devon Conway's stroke-filled 91 in Bengaluru.
by Akshay Ramesh · India TodayIn Short
- New Zealand dominate Day 2 of the first Test in Bengaluru
- New Zealand bowl India out for 46, the lowest Test total in Asia
- Devon Conway leads strong New Zealand fight back with stroke-filled 91
India don't get outplayed in a home Test, often. The envious home record -- only four Tests lost since they failed to win a series in 2012 -- tells the story. However, on Thursday, a visiting New Zealand dominated India with the bat, ball and on the field. It was a new low for the Asian giants as they were bowled out for 46, the lowest total registered in India in Test cricket after one of their weakest and error-filled performances with the bat in conditions that needed to be respected better.
At Stumps on the second day, New Zealand were 180 for 3, riding on Devon Conway's stroke-filled 91. Yes, Test cricket is a wild ride filled with uncertainties, but New Zealand have arguably pushed themselves into a position from where it's their Test to lose. Tom Latham's men took a lead of 134 runs, heading back to the dressing room as the happier of the two teams.
Not many could have seen it coming. India headed into the Test on the back of a sensational 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh earlier in the month. They had only two days to work with in the series finale in Kanpur, but they played a fearless brand of cricket to 285 for 9 in 34.4 overs in a breathtaking assault that made the world sit up and take notice. On the other hand, New Zealand arrived in India after failing to work on their poor record in the subcontinent as they were blanked by Sri Lanka 2-0 in the island nation last month.
In Bengaluru, the world took notice of India's batting effort once again, this time with a sense of shock as they lasted only 31.2 overs. Five batters, including Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul and Ashwin, did not trouble the scorers at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at all. Rishahb Pant, with 20, was the top-scorer for India while Yashasvi Jaiswal stayed the longest in the middle, managing 13 from 63 deliveries.
INDIA'S 46-ALL OUT IN CONTEXT
- It was India's lowest total at home in Test cricket.
- It was the lowest Test total by a team in the sub-continent.
- Five Indian batters were dismissed for 0 only for the second time in a home Test.
- India lasted 31.2 overs, fewer than the length of the innings during their blitz In Kanpur vs Bangladesh.
None of the other batters looked like they were playing Test match and giving respect to the conditions, which made New Zealand feel at home. Rohit Sharma set the tone for India's blitz in Kanpur a couple of weeks ago. On Thursday, he set the tone again for India's procession of wickets, walking down the track and seeing his stumps rattled by Tim Southee in the first hour.
VIRAT KOHLI BLUNDER IN BENGALURU
India made tactical blunders after seemingly failing to read the conditions properly. Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat under grey skies and on a pitch that had moisture after having been under covers for the good part of the last three days due to the wet weather in Bengaluru. Tom Latham, the New Zealand captain, also said he would have batted had he won the toss, but he was, in a way, lucky to not call it right at the toss.
Tim Sothee and Matt Henry made life difficult for Indian openers in the first 30 minutes, making the ball jag around. While the overhead conditions helped, the pitch offered plenty of seam movement. The opening partnership lasted only 6.3 overs before Rohit threw it away.
There was more surprise in store for the Bengaluru fans. While they cheered the arrival of Virat Kohli to the middle, it was baffling to see India send their best Test batter at No. 3 in such difficult conditions. The move to send Kohli ahead of KL Rahul, who has opened for India in the past, in the absence of injured Shubman Gill backfired as Kohli fell for 0 after facing just nine deliveries in the middle.
Sarfaraz Khan, batting at No. 4, threw it away while playing a half-hearted lofted shot that was wonderfully pouched by Devon Conway. KL Rahul disappointed the expectant home crowd while all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin failed to trouble the scores, unable to play the crisis-man role that they have come to be known for.
HENRY AND O'ROURKE SHINE
It was the brilliance of Matt Henry and Will O'Rourke as the two New Zealand pacers kept hitting the right areas. They did not go searching for wickets but allowed the surface to do its job and reap the rewards. Henry picked a five-wicket haul and completed 100 Test wickets while O'Rourke picked four in his first innings in Tests in India.
There was a huge gulf in the quality of fielding between the two sides. New Zealand had innovative field settings and their players threw themselves around on the field. India, on the other hand, missed quite a few chances as the pressure of a small total was evident in their body language.
R Ashwin got the big wicket of Devon Conway in the final hour of the day's play to give some sense of confidence to the dressing room. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav got the wicket of Tom Latham and Ravindra Jadeja got the big wicket of Will Young.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bowled 17 overs between them and failed to pick up a wicket as they went searching a bit, looking to put the pressure back on the New Zealand batters with the new ball.