India fall to lowest score at home as New Zealand pacers run riot

BENGALURU :India were bowled out for a dismal 46, their third-lowest test total and worst score on home soil, as New Zealand’s pace bowlers ran amok in overcast conditions on the second day of the rain-hit opening test on Thursday.
New Zealand then reached 82-1 under bright sunshine at tea for a lead of 36, as they look for a huge total to improve their chances of a first win over India in the country since 1988.
Devon Conway was batting on 61, with Will Young keeping him company on five not out.
Earlier, in conditions more reminiscent of Christchurch than Karnataka, Matt Henry bagged 5-15 while fellow speedster William O’Rourke sparkled in his first match in India with 4-22 to skittle the hosts shortly after lunch.
The 46 runs were the fewest in an innings by any team playing in India, short of the 62 the Black Caps managed against the hosts at Mumbai three years ago.
India’s previous worst total at home was the 75 they made against West Indies in New Delhi in 1987.
After the opening day was washed out, Rohit Sharma raised eyebrows by opting to bat first in a seamer-friendly environment under lights at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and was fortunate to survive a loud appeal for lbw from Henry in the morning.
The skipper did not last long at the crease as Tim Southee castled him with a delivery that nipped back in. The Black Caps then landed two more heavy blows by dismissing Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan for ducks in successive overs.
Kohli, in at number three after Shubman Gill was ruled out with injury, was caught at leg gully by a diving Glenn Phillips after O’Rourke delivered a ball that moved back in towards the veteran batsman’s ribcage.
Khan fell to Henry thanks to a stunning catch by Conway at mid-off, leaving the hosts teetering at 10-3.
DROPPED CHANCE
New Zealand could have had a fourth wicket shortly after a brief rain interruption but for some sloppy wicketkeeping by Tom Blundell, who dropped a simple chance and handed Rishabh Pant a lifeline when the left-hander was on seven.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was not as fortunate when a well-timed cut off O’Rourke went straight to Ajaz Patel, before the impressive paceman sent back KL Rahul for a duck.
Henry compounded India’s woes by removing Ravindra Jadeja for another duck, the fourth of the innings before lunch, and then added Ravichandran Ashwin to that list with the first ball after the break.
He then dismissed Pant for 20 before claiming his fifth victim of the innings and 100th of his test career by having Kuldeep Yadav caught at gully.
O’Rourke had earlier accounted for Jasprit Bumrah, with Henry taking a brilliant catch in the deep.
The crowd, who were earlier cheering when India’s lower-order batsmen played defensive shots, had little to celebrate in the afternoon with Tom Latham (15) the only New Zealand player to lose his wicket.