India suffered a historic collapse, recording their lowest Test total on home soil as New Zealand’s bowlers ripped through their batting order in Bengaluru. After the first day of the match was washed out by rain, India’s decision to bat first backfired as Matt Henry and William O’Rourke dominated with the ball.
Henry’s brilliant spell of bowling saw him claim five wickets for just 15 runs, while O’Rourke chipped in with four wickets for 22 runs. The Indian team was left reeling, succumbing to their third lowest Test score ever, managing just 46 runs. This total narrowly surpassed their infamous 36 against Australia in 2020 and 42 against England half a century ago.
The top-order batsmen, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sarfaraz Khan, crumbled early, leaving India in disarray with only 10 runs on the board. Both Kohli and Khan were dismissed for ducks, intensifying the collapse. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant provided some resistance with a partnership of 21 runs, but the lower order failed to offer much support.
As the wickets continued to tumble, India found themselves struggling at 34 for 7, with batsmen like KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin departing without scoring. Pant top-scored with 20 runs before becoming one of Henry’s victims. The New Zealand bowlers’ exceptional performance left India’s batting lineup in tatters, ultimately restricting them to a meagre total.
Henry’s achievement of reaching 100 Test wickets added to the significance of the visitors’ dominant display, putting them in command of the match. With this stunning performance, New Zealand asserted their authority early in the series, leaving India with a daunting task ahead to bounce back in the remaining matches.