India has crumbled to their worst-ever total on home soil as New Zealand paceman Matt Henry brought up a milestone 100th Test wicket in a demoralising first innings for the home side.
Rishabh Pant top-scored for the hosts with 20 off 49 balls, with he and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) the only Indian batters to crack double figures.
Five Indians - Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Lokesh Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin - were dismissed for ducks, only the second time India has hit such a low against New Zealand.
The entire innings lasted 31.2 overs, as India accumulated their meagre total at a measly 1.74 runs per over in the weather-hit match at Bengaluru.
New Zealand’s three bowlers were unstoppable with the ball.
Henry bowled 13.2 overs, taking 5-15 with his last wicket, that of Kuldeep Yadav, who mercifully fell for 2 after 17 balls, doubling as his 100th in the Test arena.
Will O’Rourke took 4-22 from 12 overs of work, while Tim Southee took 1-8 from six overs, all but two of which were maidens.
The embarrassing first innings flop comes just over a month out from the Indians’ tour of Australia, with the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy to begin at Perth on November 22.
It’s the third-lowest total in India’s Test history (behind 36 v Australia in Adelaide in 2020 and 42 against England at Lord’s in 1974), but, by far, their worst ever total on home soil.
Source: Code Sports
--Agencies
