The first Test between India and New Zealand in chinnaswamy stadium bengaluru ended as an eight wicket win for New Zealand, the first win over India after 36 years. In a fair toss, India chose to bat but collapsed to a shocking 46 in their first innings, mainly due to Matt Henry’s 5/15 and Will O’Rourke’s 4/22. Only Rishabh Pant’s 20 stood out for India as their batters struggled against the New Zealand pace attack.
New Zealand responded in kind with a good 402, led by Rachin Ravindra’s 134 and Devon Conway’s 91. Ravindra anchored the innings superbly, mixing defence with attacking strokes, and played a masterclass in controlling spin and pace. With India’s bowlers trying their best to pull things back, Ravindra Jadeja (3/72) was the most successful among the Indian bowlers as New Zealand gained a strong lead.
India made a strong comeback in the second innings, scoring 462 runs. There is a significant contribution from Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 150 runs. Rishabh Pant was just one run short for a century; he got out for 99 runs. The Indian middle-order showed resilience after a poor start, but O’Rourke and Henry continued to trouble the Indian batters. The hundred by Sarfaraz proved his potential in international cricket.
New Zealand, chasing a easy target of 107 on the fifth day, might have got their top-order going with Will Young on 48* and Ravindra on 39*, However, they faced challenges from Jasprit Bumrah, who gave his best effort at the top to delay New Zealand’s victory. However, India’s loss was seen in not getting that third seamer who could have exploited these conditions and done a bit more for them.
New Zealand won an historic victory for them in India, their first since 1988, and that came off the back of a very balanced performance by their side as a whole, Despite India’s remarkable fightback with the bat in the second innings, they will likely regret their poor first-innings batting and missed opportunities in the field.
