Bengaluru
India suffered a dramatic collapse, being bowled out for just 46 runs by New Zealand in the first Test On Thursday, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This total marks India’s lowest in a home Test, surpassing the previous record of 75 against West Indies in New Delhi in 1987.
New Zealand’s pace trio dominated the Indian lineup. Matt Henry (5/15) led the charge, supported by William O’Rourke (4/22) and Tim Southee (1/8). India struggled from the outset, losing six wickets for only 34 runs in the first session and the last four for just 12 runs in the second.
The batting collapse included five ducks, with key players like Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin failing to score. Rishabh Pant (20) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) were the only two to reach double figures.
This dismal score is India’s thirdlowest in Test history, after 36 against Australia in Adelaide in 2021 and 42 against England at Lord’s in 1974. It is also the lowest Test total ever recorded on Indian soil, beating New Zealand’s 53 against India in Mumbai in 2021.
India’s decision to bat first on a seamerfriendly pitch and the lack of resilience from their batsmen played a major role in the collapse. New Zealand capitalized on the conditions to gain a dominant position in the match, leaving the hosts with a steep challenge ahead.
