India were denied their third lowest Test total Up trends

New Zealand players celebrate after India captain Rohit Sharma is sacked on October 17, 2024. – AFP
New Zealand players celebrate after India captain Rohit Sharma is sacked on October 17, 2024. — AFP

India were bowled out for a paltry 46, their third lowest Test total and their lowest on home soil, as New Zealand’s 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 took 5-15 while fellow speedster William O’Rourke made his India debut with 4-22 to edge out the hosts shortly after lunch.

The 46 runs were the lowest in an innings by any team playing in India, much less than the 62 the Black Caps achieved against the hosts in Mumbai three years ago.

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

Coming off the opening day, Rohit Sharma raised eyebrows by opting to bat first in a seamer-friendly environment under the lights at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and was lucky to survive a loud call from Henry in the morning.

The skipper didn’t last long at the crease as Tim Southee held him down with a delivery that went back inside. The Black Caps then dealt two more heavy blows by dismissing Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan for ducks in successive overs.

Kohli, at number three after Shubman Gill was ruled out due to injury, was caught in the leg groove by a diving Glenn Phillips after O’Rourke got a single back towards the veteran batsman’s ribcage.

Sarfaraz Khan fell to Henry thanks to a stunning strike from Devon Conway midway through the game, leaving the hosts reeling at 10-3.

New Zealand should have taken a fourth wicket soon after the rain broke but for some wicket-keeping errors by Tom Blundell, who wasted a simple chance to give Rishabh Pant a lifeline when the left-hander was on seven.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was unlucky as O’Rourke went straight through to Ajaz Patel, before sending off the impressive pacer KL Rahul for a duck.

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

He then dismissed Pant for 20 before claiming his fifth victim of the innings and the 100th of his Test career by catching Kuldeep Yadav in the gully.

O’Rourke was earlier in charge of Jasprit Bumrah, with Henry making a brilliant catch deep.

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