India’s Batting Collapse at 46 All Out: Henry and Conway Power New Zealand to a Dominant Position
New Zealand ended the day with a substantial 134-run advantage and seven wickets remaining, riding high on Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul (5-15) and Devon Conway’s dominant 91.
After winning the toss, India decided to bat on a covered pitch because of the rainy weather. But when New Zealand’s seamers, led by Henry, launched a brilliant bowling attack, this choice backfired horribly. The visitors bowled India out for their lowest-ever Test score at home and third-lowest overall, taking advantage of the pitch’s wetness and the cloudy skies.
The ball moved considerably more in the early overs than either team had anticipated. Under duress, India’s top order broke down, as the New Zealand pacers’ disciplined bowling claimed the wickets of Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rohit Sharma. India’s hitters had no time to settle thanks to Will O’Rourke’s (4-22) speed and Henry’s wobble-seam deliveries.
India’s batting never settled, and Matt Henry’s accurate dismissal of the lower order earned him his 100th Test wicket. With little opposition from the middle and lower order, India’s innings fell apart for 46 runs in 31.2 overs despite a minor rain delay.
Devon Conway led New Zealand’s batting in taking advantage of the marginally better conditions, with a meager total of 46 to chase. By the conclusion of day two, Conway’s aggressive strategy—particularly against India’s spinners—had helped New Zealand reach 180/3.
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell helped Conway to his nearly century-high score of 91 towards the conclusion of the day, which gave New Zealand the upper hand. In order to neutralize India’s spinners, particularly Ravichandran Ashwin, Conway showed remarkable skill by sweeping and reverse-sweeping them. India’s fielding errors, which included two stumpings by Rishabh Pant and three other missed opportunities, also contributed.
The key for New Zealand will be to concentrate on creating an advantage that can be held until the fourth inning. It will be difficult to limit New Zealand’s batting and generate enough pressure for a possible comeback because India is depending on their spinners. Nonetheless, New Zealand is well-positioned to aim for a decisive win in this Test match with their lead of 134 and seven wickets remaining.
Watch the action as it happens in Bengaluru, where India is trying to bounce back from a terrible start while New Zealand is trying to tighten their hold on the game.
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Rohit Sharma Reflects on Misreading Bengaluru Pitch After India’s Collapse Against New Zealand
Following India’s stunning collapse to 46 all out on Day 2 of the first Test match against New Zealand, skipper Rohit Sharma acknowledged that he had misjudged the Bengaluru surface. In his post-match remarks, Sharma, who chose to bat first and selected a spin-heavy side consisting of three spinners and just two fast bowlers, fully accepted responsibility for the choice.
The surface remained covered for nearly two days after the rain canceled the first day of play. In spite of this, Sharma decided to bat first, a move that backfired as New Zealand’s fast bowlers put too much pressure on India’s batting order. India’s score of 46 was their third-lowest overall and their lowest at home.
Speaking about the decision, Rohit said:
“Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don’t. This time, I didn’t. As a captain, it hurts, but we learn from these challenges.”
India’s problems started early, as by lunchtime they were down to 36 for 6. India was left reeling as New Zealand took advantage of the support its fast bowlers could provide and took advantage of the favorable conditions for seam bowling.
Fast bowler Akash Deep was left out as India selected three spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Because of the pitch’s naked appearance and Kuldeep’s prior success on flat pitches, Sharma gave an explanation for his inclusion.