IND vs NZ Test 1, Day 2: New Zealand in Command: New Zealand ended Day 2 of the first Test against India in a strong position at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell put together a solid partnership, adding 26 runs for the fourth wicket, which took New Zealand’s total to 180/3 by the end of the day. They now lead India by 134 runs. The pair will resume batting on Day 3, while the Indian team will aim to turn the game around.
India’s Batting Collapse: All out for 46
India’s decision to bat first backfired badly as they were bowled out for just 46 runs in their first innings, which is one of their lowest scores in Test cricket. The New Zealand bowlers, helped by overcast weather, put India under immense pressure right from the start.
At lunchtime, India was already struggling at 34/6. Matt Henry led the New Zealand bowling attack with 5 wickets, while William O’Rourke took 4 and Tim Southee got 1. The Kiwi pacers made the most of the swinging conditions, making it tough for Indian batters to score.
New Zealand Off to a Confident Start
New Zealand responded confidently, reaching 82/1 by Tea, with Devon Conway leading the charge. He scored a strong 91 runs before being bowled by R Ashwin. India’s spinners, Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, each managed to take a wicket, but New Zealand kept control throughout the day.
Rishabh Pant’s Injury Woes
India faced more trouble when wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant injured his knee and had to leave the field. He was replaced by Dhruv Jurel for the rest of the day.
Rain Disrupts Play
Rain also played a part in India’s struggles. The match was briefly halted when India was batting at 13/3. The first day of the Test had been completely washed out due to heavy rain, which only added to India’s challenges.
Team Changes and Struggles
Before the match, India made two changes to their playing XI. Shubman Gill, who wasn’t fully fit, was replaced by Sarfaraz Khan. Additionally, pacer Akash Deep made way for spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Despite these changes, India couldn’t handle New Zealand’s excellent bowling and collapsed early in the match.
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