1st Test: India collapse to 34-6 after opting to bat against New Zealand

For the first time in 14 years, India found itself in a state of panic during the first session of the opening Test against New Zealand on Day 2 in Bengaluru. Under a gloomy sky and overcast conditions, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and took everyone by surprise by opting to bat.

The New Zealand pace trio, featuring Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and William O’Rourke, made the most of the conditions, each picking up a wicket and reducing India to 10/3. Since 1990, this was just the third time India had lost three wickets after scoring 10 or fewer runs on home soil in a Test match. On all three occasions, it was New Zealand who made early inroads and rattled India’s top order. Before the ongoing Test match, the Kiwis managed to remove three Indian batters for a score of 7 in Mohali in 1999. In 2010, India lost three wickets after putting just two runs on the board.

Tim Southee set the tone for the day by nipping one back into Rohit, beating the inside edge and knocking the top of the leg stump. With the Indian skipper back in the dugout after scoring just 2, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to steady the ship under challenging conditions. The scorching deliveries from the New Zealand pacers continued to unsettle the Indian duo, leading to a thrilling contest between bat and ball.

New Zealand’s hopes for a dream start turned into reality as Kohli began to walk back without troubling the scorers. O’Rourke silenced the crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium by extracting extra bounce off the surface, taking Kohli by surprise. The Indian stalwart tried to defend the ball off his toes but ended up gloving it to Glenn Phillips, who flew in from leg gully to take a stunning catch. This was Kohli’s first duck in 32 innings, with his last coming against the same opposition in 2021 at Wankhede.

With Kohli joining Rohit in the dressing room in the opening hour for a 9-ball duck, India’s woes escalated in the next over. Sarfaraz Khan, who got his much-awaited opportunity, edged the ball with the bottom of his bat. Devon Conway sprang to his right at extra cover to complete a spectacular catch. Sarfaraz returned with a three-ball duck, while Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal eased the nerves by forging a 21-run partnership. Rain momentarily interrupted play, allowing India to reorganize their plans.

Tom Blundell dropped a straightforward catch, offering Pant and the Indian team a moment of reprieve. With a couple of boundaries, the Indian batters grew in confidence, but Jaiswal attempted to slap the ball towards backward point. He went for power but failed to get the placement right, resulting in Ajaz Patel leaping low to complete a remarkable catch, ending Jaiswal’s stay at the crease.

KL Rahul came in and was welcomed by O’Rourke, who smashed the ball straight into the Indian’s glove. With Rahul rattled, O’Rourke returned in his next over to reap the rewards for his efforts. As India sought to score runs, O’Rourke lured Rahul into making a blunder, with the batter tickling the ball down to Blundell’s left. Rahul became the third batter to register a duck for India, followed by Ravindra Jadeja, who became the fourth.

A miscued shot from the experienced southpaw was enough for Henry to send him back to the dugout for a six-ball duck. Jadeja’s dismissal marked the final action of the first session, as the umpires decided to call for lunch with India’s scoreboard reading 34/6.