Cricket enthusiasts across India are grappling with disappointment as the national team suffered a catastrophic collapse in the first Test against New Zealand at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. On Thursday, October 17, the hosts found themselves dismissed for a mere 46 runs – their lowest ever Test total on home soil and third lowest overall.
Tactical Misstep Haunts India
Captain Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat first has come under intense scrutiny. The pitch, which had been covered for two days due to relentless rain, presented a formidable challenge for batsmen. Despite winning the toss, India’s choice to bat first under overcast skies backfired spectacularly.
Sharma himself was cleaned up by Tim Southee for just 2 runs, setting the tone for a disastrous innings. The overcast conditions played into the hands of New Zealand’s bowlers, who made the most of the swinging ball. This choice has left many scratching their heads, wondering if Sharma had gravely misjudged the situation.
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Batting Order Shuffle Backfires
The much-anticipated return of Virat Kohli to the No.3 spot ended in a damp squib. Kohli was dismissed for a nine-ball duck by newcomer Will O’Rourke, notching up his 38th international duck. Cricket buffs were left puzzled by the decision to send Kohli in at No.3 instead of KL Rahul, who has more experience batting in such tricky conditions. However, Rahul himself failed to make an impact, also falling for a duck.
Adding to the team’s woes, Sarfaraz Khan, stepping in for the injured Shubman Gill, failed to make his mark, dismissed without scoring. His inclusion in the batting order ahead of more experienced players raised eyebrows, particularly given Sarfaraz’s limited experience batting higher than No.6 in domestic cricket.
The Indian innings lasted just 31.2 overs, with Matt Henry (5 for 15) and young Kiwi pacer William O’Rourke (4 for 22) starring with the ball for the visitors. Rishabh Pant was the top-scorer for India with his knock of 20, while opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) was the only other batsman to enter double figures.
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Series Implications and Looking Ahead
With this disastrous start, India’s hopes of maintaining their top spot in the World Test Championship standings have taken a severe blow. A clean sweep against New Zealand is now a distant dream, and the pressure is mounting on the Indian squad to turn things around dramatically in the remaining matches.
On the flip side, New Zealand has capitalized on their strong start after a challenging tour of the subcontinent. The second Test kicks off on October 24 in Pune, followed by the final match in Mumbai starting November 1. The Kiwis are now in a prime position to potentially upset the apple cart in this series.
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As the match progresses, all eyes will be on how India responds to this setback and whether they can salvage their pride in the remainder of the Test and the series.
