In the opening Test of the three-match series in Bengaluru, New Zealand defeated India by 8 wickets thanks to a strong combination between Rachin Ravindra and Will Young. New Zealand’s chase of 107 was off to a bad start when they lost captain Tom Latham to duck. But Will Young (45*) and Devon Conway (17) together got the visitors back into the contest. New Zealand easily tracked down the target after losing Conway, with Rachin Ravindra (39*) providing the final touch. Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets for India. Prior to this, Rishabh Pant scored 99 runs and Sarfaraz Khan scored 150 for India. Since 1988, New Zealand had not won a Test match in India before this one.
Conway then bowled a lengthy period of eight consecutive overs before being removed by Bumrah. But then Rachin Ravindra and Will Young batted like a dream team and eliminated India from the tournament. With their over-50-run third-wicket partnership, the two nearly brought New Zealand their first Test victory in India since 1988.
After scoring just 46 in their first innings, India’s attempt at a comeback saw them reach 462 on Day 4 of their second innings. In their first innings, New Zealand scored 402 against India’s 46. Given that they had hoped to post a larger target, the hosts will also feel let down. The collapse started when Rishabh Pant missed a ton by a small margin and Sarfaraz Khan fell during the pre-Tea session, leaving him for 150 off 195 balls. Pant scored 99 runs off of 105 balls.
India was forced to settle with a 107-run advantage in the last session after failing to demonstrate any intent. Will O’Rourke and Matt Henry both claimed three wickets for New Zealand. On Sunday, the hosts will be attempting to make 107 appear like 250 or more, but in all honesty, they have little chance. However, the pitch can offer the pacers and spinners a lot of assistance. Additionally, India’s lowest target ever successfully defended in a Test match was 107 against Australia in 2004.
