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Follow UsNew Zealand have done it again. Coming off a 0-2 defeat in Sri Lanka, where they lost the second Test by an innings and 154 runs, the general perception was that they won’t be a match for India. This perception was further buoyed by the fact that they hadn’t beaten India in India in the 21st century.
But the Kiwis responded with that above-the-weight punch they are so famous for. They won their first Test in India in 36 years, beating the hosts by 8 wickets in a contest with plenty of twists but a one-sided result in the end.
Not to say that India took them lightly but there were a few things Rohit Sharma and Co. would like to revisit. Despite being bowled out for 46 in the first innings, India had opportunities in the Test to turn the tide. We look back at those missed opportunities in this piece:
Toss & Team Combination
Skipper Rohit dished out a few surprises at the toss itself. To begin with, the call of batting first under the overcast Bengaluru sky raised question marks during India’s first innings debacle itself.
New Zealand had only one thing going in their favor leading up to the Test match — the weather forecast in Bengaluru, hinting help for swing bowlers which is their default bowling preference. In spite of New Zealand’s bowling strength, India took a gamble to bat on a damp wicket, given the pitch was under covers throughout Day 1.
The idea was to see off the morning session and then bat big on what was a decent wicket to bat on. However, India simply capitulated against New Zealand seamers.
The intention to bat first also pushed India to play three spinners. The hosts didn’t alter their strategy with respect to the conditions — effectively a four-day Test with rain forecast throughout the week. It reminded of the Lord’s Test in 2018 where despite a washed out opening day, India fielded an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav who had figures of 0/44 in nine overs in India’s defeat.
In Bengaluru, as well, Kuldeep came in as the extra spinner and wasn’t as effective as expected, conceding at an economy of 5.4. Moreover, India looked a seam bowler short throughout the match.
No early wickets
India’s only hope after being bowled out for practically nothing was to pick wickets in clusters. And the sooner the better.
However, chasing after wickets, India were a touch awry with the ball. The New Zealand openers mounted 67 runs for the first wicket at a run rate of 4 runs per over, with Devon Conway completing his fifty in 54 balls.
It is not the first time Indian seamers have bowled on both sides of the wicket in search of wickets. The South Africa tour of 2021/22 witnessed a similar story as South Africa chased down successfully in back-to-back Tests to win the series 2-1.
When India finally dismissed Tom Latham in the 18th over, New Zealand had shut the door on India’s chances on Day 2. With the seamers going at over 3 runs per over collectively, Ravichandran Ashwin conceded 26 runs in his five overs in this phase.
Ashwin, in fact, had one of the most forgettable games of his career. He conceded 1/100 in the match at an economy of 5.6. These are his second-worst figures in a home Test which also didn’t help India’s case.
The Southee-Rachin p’ship
India finally managed to pick wickets in clusters on Day 3. New Zealand had a mini-collapse in the middle-order, losing four wickets for 40 runs. The hosts were still in the game with a good chance to limit New Zealand’s lead to under 200.
But yet again, the match slipped from India just as it was coming into the grasp.
Rachin Ravindra bailed out the Kiwis with a masterful innings alongside Tim Southee. The pair added 137 runs for the eighth wicket in only 132 balls. As their partnership switched gears, India simply looked out of plans to arrest their free-flowing strokeplay. Instead, they followed the batters, allowing them to belt eight sixes between them. Their partnership stretched New Zealand’s lead from 187 to 324.
Ravindra was 42 off 78 balls when Matt Henry fell as the seventh wicket. From thereon, he went on to complete his hundred in 124 balls only, translating to nearly 60 runs over the subsequent 46 balls.
While Ravindra notched up his maiden Test hundred outside New Zealand, Southee bagged his first 50-plus away score in 10 years. Southee can bat alright but him outscoring the whole Indian XI reflected India's struggles in the Test.
Another Collapse
Given the batting conditions, India were expected to make a spirited comeback despite a deficit of 356 at the beginning of their second innings. Staying true to their potential for the only time in the Test, India wiped off the trail with only three wickets down.
They scored 313 runs between the fall of the second and the fourth wicket with Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan well in. With India in the driver’s seat, New Zealand had only hope — the second new ball. For India, it was imperative to see through it unscathed and gain a decisive advantage in the Test.
But on the contrary, when they needed Pant and Sarfaraz to stay on for another hour, they lost all the remaining seven wickets within 20 overs with the new ball.
It started with Sarfaraz’s keenness to hit Southee over the in-field in his third over with the new ball. And once the gates were opened, the Kiwis barged in, picking seven wickets for 54 runs. New Zealand simply cracked the code of a hard ball on the good length area on the pitch and ran through India’s batting with inconsistent bounce and constant swing and seam movement.
India went from 46 all out in the first innings to post 408/3 on the board and then slipped to lose seven wickets for 54 runs. That is 100/17 and 408/3
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