India’s cricket team was bowled out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test match against New Zealand at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. This was India’s worst ever score on home soil in Test cricket and the third lowest of all time.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and his team crumbled under pressure. The hosts were bundled out for 34 runs for six wickets before lunch, as only Pant could score 20 runs and Jaiswal 13 runs. The other batters struggled to handle the pressure, and five players, including big names like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, got a duck.
The Kiwi bowlers were tireless, with Matt Henry taking five wickets and completing 100 wickets in tests. William O’Rourke also gave his best by taking four wickets and proving himself on his home Test debut.
This inning not only broke records but also exposed a steep fall on the form chart for the Indian batsmen. India’s previous lowest total was 36 set during the day-night Test against Australia in December last year.
This is the first time ever that four of the top seven Indian batting performers have been dismissed without a score in a home Test match, a record last achieved in 1952 against England. Some questions are raised concerning the team’s approach and psyche in the subsequent games of the series.
At this historic low, India will need to start climbing to get back on their feet in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.
