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October 21, 2024
A thrilling day of cricket in Bengaluru ended with New Zealand leading by 134 runs. After waiting for seven days to play Test cricket in India, New Zealand finally got onto the field on the second day. They lost the toss, which meant they would bowl first under overcast skies on a pitch that had been covered all week. India’s batting collapsed spectacularly, managing only 46 runs—its lowest home score and the third-lowest overall in Test history for a team batting first.
New Zealand capitalized on this advantage, with Devon Conway scoring a lively 91 as conditions improved. By the end of the day, New Zealand was sitting pretty with a 134-run lead and seven wickets in hand.
Both teams may have misjudged the pitch conditions. India won the toss and opted to bat first, relying on the dry pitch despite the damp weather leading up to the Test. They chose three spinners, while New Zealand, wanting to bat first, brought in three seamers, including the impressive Matt Henry, who took five wickets and reached a milestone of 100 Test wickets.
It became clear in the first two overs that the ball was moving more than expected. New Zealand initially set only two slips but quickly adjusted their field. India’s batsmen, reacting instinctively rather than following pre-series strategies, were under pressure. Yashasvi Jaiswal played a loose drive on just his twelfth ball, while Rohit Sharma survived a close leg-before-wicket shout but soon attempted a risky shot against Tim Southee, resulting in his dismissal.
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With Shubman Gill out due to a stiff neck, Virat Kohli moved up to No. 3 for the first time since 2016. While Kohli’s promotion was bold, KL Rahul, currently batting at No. 6, is arguably better suited for seaming conditions. He is the only Asian opener with centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa.
Unfortunately for Kohli, he didn’t get a chance to settle in. On the ninth ball he faced, a delivery from Will O’Rourke sharply angled back in, catching Kohli’s glove and resulting in a catch by Glenn Phillips at leg slip, indicating a specific fielding plan.
In a further batting-order surprise, Sarfaraz Khan came in at No. 4, one slot higher than his usual position in domestic cricket. However, he lasted only three balls, attempting an aerial drive that was expertly caught by Devon Conway at mid-off, diving to his right. This catch rewarded Matt Henry, who was consistently producing an average seam movement of 1.3 degrees in the first session.
Rain interrupted play when India was at a precarious 13 for 3 after just 12.4 overs, with no boundaries scored. After the break, India had some luck as Tom Blundell dropped a straightforward catch from Rishabh Pant, and other loose shots did not result in further wickets.
However, the fourth wicket fell soon after the rain delay. Jaiswal, who managed 13 runs off 63 balls, played a middled cut shot that led to his dismissal. The situation worsened for India as Rahul nicked O’Rourke down the leg side just six minutes before lunch, and Ravindra Jadeja followed with a leading edge that was caught off the last ball of the session.
Henry struck again immediately after lunch, catching the shoulder of R. Ashwin’s bat with a good-length delivery. Pant survived the hat-trick ball but nicked Henry to second slip shortly after. Henry’s success was a testament to New Zealand’s disciplined bowling, maintaining a good length that stayed around 6-8 meters, rarely dropping to a length that could be easily driven.
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Henry was not finished yet. He sprinted full speed to his left from fine leg to help O’Rourke secure his fourth wicket, as Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t handle a short ball that kicked up and hit him. Henry’s five-for was completed with the help of substitute Michael Bracewell, who dived to his left at gully to catch Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket.
It was a challenging situation for India. The sun was shining as they took the field, and although the ball still moved, it was not as threatening as it had been in the morning. India’s innings lasted just 31.2 overs, with an average seam movement of 0.87 degrees. In contrast, New Zealand had reached 111 for 1 by that point, while India’s bowlers could only extract about 0.65 degrees of seam movement. New Zealand played only 36 false shots during this period, while India was bowled out for just 75 runs.
Devon Conway took full advantage of the situation. India’s decision to select three spinners forced them to bowl spin early, and Conway aggressively attacked Ravichandran Ashwin before the spinners could become effective. He drove anything too full from the pace bowlers and swept, reverse-swept, and charged at the spinners. India also missed several chances in the slips: Rahul lost one catch, Rohit missed a half-chance, and Pant failed to stump two batters.
Rohit redeemed himself by taking a catch at gully off Jadeja, dismissing Will Young, who attempted a big sweep. Conway, who had dominated Ashwin with the new ball, was eventually out for 91, trying to reverse-sweep Ashwin just nine runs short of a century. By this time, the ball was behaving erratically enough to justify India’s choice of three spinners.
New Zealand’s strategy to solidify their lead for the fourth innings became crucial. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell took the first steps towards that goal by surviving the final 10.5 overs of the day.
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