Cricket-India fall to lowest score at home as New Zealand pacers excel

New Zealand players celebrates the wicket Rohit Sharma (C) of India during day 2 of the 1st Test Match between India and New Zealand held at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India on the 17th October 2024 Photo by Vipin Pawar/ Sportzpics for BCCI Photo: Photosport

India were bowled out for a paltry 46, their third-lowest test total and their lowest on home soil, as New Zealand's pace bowlers ran amok in overcast conditions on the second day of the rain-hit opening test on Thursday.

In conditions more reminiscent of Christchurch than Karnataka, Matt Henry bagged 5-15 while fellow speedster William O'Rourke sparkled in his first game in India with 4-22 to skittle the hosts shortly after lunch.

The 46 runs were the fewest in an innings by any team playing in India, well short of the 62 the Black Caps managed against the hosts at Mumbai three years ago.

India's previous worst total at home was the 75 they made against West Indies in New Delhi in 1987.

After the opening day was washed out, Rohit Sharma raised eyebrows by opting to bat first in a seamer-friendly environment under lights at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and was fortunate to survive a loud appeal for lbw from Henry in the morning.

The skipper did not last long at the crease as Tim Southee castled him with a delivery that nipped back in. The Black Caps then landed two more heavy blows by dismissing Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan for ducks in successive overs.

Kohli, in at number three after Shubman Gill was ruled out with injury, was caught at leg gully by a diving Glenn Phillips after O'Rourke got one to move back in towards the veteran batsman's ribcage.

Sarfaraz Khan fell to Henry thanks to a stunning catch by Devon Conway at mid-off, leaving the hosts teetering at 10-3.

New Zealand could have had a fourth wicket shortly after a brief rain interruption but for some sloppy wicketkeeping by Tom Blundell, who dropped a simple chance to hand Rishabh Pant a lifeline when the left-hander was on seven.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was not as fortunate when a well-timed cut off O'Rourke went straight to Ajaz Patel, before the impressive paceman sent back KL Rahul for a duck.

Henry compounded India's woes by removing Ravindra Jadeja for another duck, the fourth of the innings before lunch, and then added Ravichandran Ashwin to that list in the first ball after the break.

He then dismissed Pant for 20 before claiming his fifth victim of the innings and 100th of his test career by having Kuldeep Yadav caught at gully.

O'Rourke earlier accounted for Jasprit Bumrah, with Henry taking a brilliant catch in the deep.

- Reuters