New Zealand’s fast bowlers wreaked havoc as India were bowled out for a mere 46 runs on the second day of their rain-affected series opener. Overcast conditions favored the Kiwi seamers, leading to India’s third-lowest total in Test history and their lowest at home since being bundled out for 75 by the West Indies in 1987.
Matt Henry spearheaded the attack, taking 5-15, while William O’Rourke claimed 4-22. India, having won the toss and opted to bat first under cloudy skies, struggled from the start. Their top order collapsed swiftly, and by lunch, India were reeling at 34 for 6.
Rohit Sharma was the first to fall, scoring just 2 runs, while Yashasvi Jaiswal managed 13. The rest of India’s batting lineup crumbled, with Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin all failing to get off the mark. Kuldeep Yadav added 2, Jasprit Bumrah 1, and Mohammad Siraj remained not out on 4. Rishabh Pant top-scored with 20.
The first day of play had been washed out due to rain, and more bad weather is expected throughout the week. Despite the challenging conditions, India made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Sarfaraz Khan for the injured Shubman Gill and replacing pacer Akash Deep with spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the tricky conditions, saying, “The pitch has been under covers for a couple of days, and we knew it would be sticky to start with. We wanted to put runs on the board, especially with the shortened game.”
New Zealand, under new captain Tom Latham, are looking to claim their first victory against India since 1988. With three seamers—Tim Southee, William O’Rourke, and Matt Henry—they exploited the overcast conditions brilliantly. The Black Caps are without key batsman Kane Williamson but hope to make a strong statement against an Indian side that has won 18 consecutive home series since their 2012 loss to England.
