The first test between India and New Zealand saw rain wash out on Day 1. It wasn't a bright morning to start, as the conditions were mostly overcast. Rohit Sharma won the toss and surprisingly chose to bat first, considering the cloudy weather. However, it was expected that the clouds would linger throughout the day, making conditions suitable for both teams.Â
Shubman Gill was ruled out for India due to neck pain, leading to a last-minute decision to leave him out of the lineup. New Zealand brought in William O’Rourke in place of Matt Henry.
India vs New Zealand: Team India on the Back Foot Right from the Start
The match commenced with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the crease, facing Tim Southee with the new ball. As anticipated, there was significant swing and seam movement, and both Southee and Matt Henry maintained accurate lengths. Rohit Sharma took his time, facing pressure from Southee, who skilfully mixed up his line and length, leaving Rohit beaten on several occasions. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted to adapt to the conditions by trying to play a different game.
As the innings progressed, India was struggling, managing just a run per over, and there were no boundaries in sight. In an attempt to accelerate the scoring, Rohit decided to go over Tim Southee but was bowled by a well-executed delivery that nipped back into the stumps. It was a bold move from Rohit, and he was dismissed by a beauty, leaving India at 9/1 in the overs.
As Virat Kohli stepped onto the field, the Bangalore crowd erupted in applause. This marked his return to bat at number three in Test cricket for the first time since 2016 in the West Indies. He adopted a cautious approach initially, leaving several balls. To everyone's surprise, Tim Southee was replaced by William O’Rourke after Southee's impressive spell against Kohli. O’Rourke, a tall and lanky bowler, naturally angles the ball inward toward right-handed batters.Â
From the start, he found his rhythm against Kohli. Kohli was beaten by some extra bounce, and on the very next delivery, he was dismissed for a duck after facing just nine balls. He nicked the ball off his glove, and Glenn Phillips made a brilliant low catch at backward slip. What a strategic bowling change by Latham! With this dismissal, India found itself on the back foot in Bangalore.
Sarfraz Khan came in at number four, ahead of KL Rahul, which seemed to be a strategic move to score some quick runs. However, it backfired when he attempted an expansive shot against Matt Henry and ended up getting caught by Devon Conway at extra cover. This decision to send Sarfraz Khan up the order proved to be a misstep, as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck. Consequently, India was reduced to 10/3 in Bangalore.
Rishabh Pant followed him in, coming in ahead of KL Rahul, to relieve some pressure and counter the bowling with two left-hand batsmen at the crease. Pant quickly got off the mark with a single, but then rain resumed in Bangalore, leading to a stoppage in play, with the scoreboard reading 12/3 for India.
India vs New Zealand: More Troubles for India Followed After the Rain
After a brief stop, the match resumed with Rishabh Pant hitting a boundary through the covers, eliciting a roar from the crowd in Bangalore. As the innings progressed, Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal batted together for a short while. Pant began to play his natural game, but he struggled to find his rhythm, mistiming several shots. Tom Blundell of O'Rourke dropped a catch that could have dismissed Pant.Â
As the score barely moved, Jaiswal, feeling restless at one end, attempted to cut a delivery through the square but ended up getting caught by Ajaz Patel, who made the catch look effortless. Consequently, India lost their fourth wicket for just 31 runs on the board.
KL Rahul walked in next, and O'Rourke continued to bowl a similar length to what he had used against Virat Kohli. With a mix of lengths, O’Rourke delivered a full ball that caught Rahul off guard. His natural movement toward the shot led to an edge down the leg side, resulting in his dismissal for a duck. India is under tremendous pressure, having lost half of their side before lunch.Â
Ravi Jadeja was next to walks out and had pretty much the same story as he was unable to counter the bounce and seam movement and ended out getting dismissed for an Awkward shot and Ajaz Patel took a sitter at the Point.Â
As the session concluded after just 23 overs, New Zealand dominated the Indian batters, expertly exploiting the conditions. With extra bounce and seam movement causing constant trouble, they reduced India to 34/6 at Lunch, leaving the team in a challenging position and raising concerns about their ability to recover.
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