India were bowled out for their lowest total in a home Test match as they crumbled to 46 all out in the first innings of their first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, where the tourists posted 180-3 at stumps.
The hosts struggled against the pace and movement of New Zealand’s fast bowlers in overcast conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after India’s captain Rohit Sharma opted to bat first on Thursday.
The first day of the Test was washed out by rain, and clouds hovered above the ground when India’s openers Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal went out to bat.
Rohit was the first batter to fall after he was bowled out for two runs by Tim Southee in the seventh over and triggered an Indian collapse that was briefly halted by a 20-run partnership between Jaiswal and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Pant was the top run scorer with 20 off 49 balls and Jaiswal scored 13 off 63.
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli was one of the five Indian top and middle-order batters dismissed without scoring a run. India lost their last seven wickets for only 15 runs as fans in the stadium cheered every time the lower-order batsmen played defensive shots under relentless pressure.
Fast bowlers Matt Henry and William O’Rourke picked up the other nine Indian wickets, with Henry getting 5-15 in his 13.2 overs.
O’Rourke, who took the final Indian wicket, finished the innings with figures of 4-22 in his 12 overs, which included six maidens.
This was India’s third-lowest score in a Test innings and the 18th lowest by a Test nation.
New Zealand hold the ignominious record of scoring the lowest total in Test history, when they were dismissed on 26 runs against England in 1955.
Later, New Zealand swelled their lead to 134 runs under glorious sunshine and will eye a big total to improve their chances of a first victory over India in the country since 1988.
Devon Conway took the attack to the jolted hosts with a bold approach during his 91, while Rachin Ravindra was unbeaten on 22 and Daryl Mitchell on 14 not out at stumps.
The home crowd had little to celebrate until New Zealand’s Tom Latham (15) and Will Young (33) departed, with the loudest roar reserved for the wicket of Conway when he was bowled by Ashwin after hitting the India attack for 11 fours and three sixes.
A right knee injury to Pant during a missed stumping added to India’s miserable day, as the wicketkeeper limped off and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel.
