BENGALURU: Devon Conway scored a brisk 91 and powered New Zealand to attain a 134-run lead after pacers booked India on a record-low 46 on Day 2 of the first Test here at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
New Zealand had reached 180/3 before bad light forced an early Stumps on Day 2. At the culmination of an eventful day, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell were unbeaten on 22 and 14 respectively.
The touring side got off to a decent start to their innings as openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway built a solid foundation with a 67-run partnership.
The opening stand was dominated by Conway, while Latham played defensively for his 49-ball 15 before Kuldeep Yadav trapped him lbw in the 18th over.
Conway carried on dominating the spin-laden Indian bowling attack and was involved in another important partnership for New Zealand when he added 75 runs for the second wicket with Will Young, who made an anchoring 33.
Devon Conway had an agonizing end to his brilliant knock as he fell just nine short of a well-deserved century. He remained the top-scorer for New Zealand with 91 off just 105 deliveries, laced up with 11 fours and three sixes.
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For India, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja made one scalp apiece.
Earlier, India succumbed to their lowest Test total at home as New Zealand pacers ran through their strong batting unit.
New Zealand pacers William O’Rourke and Matt Henry wreaked havoc on the second day of the opening Test after the first day was washed out due to rain.
The two pacers shared nine wickets to bundle India for a meagre 46 runs, which is their lowest total at home, meanwhile, overall it is their third lowest.
Previously, 75 was India’s lowest total at home, which they registered against West Indies at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in 1987.
Meanwhile, their lowest total in Test cricket was 36 during their thumping eight-wicket loss against Australia in 2020.
India’s lowest totals in Test cricket
- 36-all out vs Australia in Adelaide in 2020
- 42-all out vs England in London in 1974
- 46-all out vs New Zealand in Bengaluru in 2024*
- 58-all out vs Australia in Brisbane in 1947
- 58-all out vs England in Manchester in 1952
India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first, however, the decision backfired as New Zealand breathed fire.
Sarfaraz Khan was included in the line-up in place of unfit Shubman Gill, meanwhile, New Zealand replaced injured Kane Williamson with Will Young.
Sharma was the first wicket to fall for the hosts followed by Virat Kohli, who bagged a rare duck leaving India reeling at 9-2.
Sarfaraz Khan followed suit and got out without opening his account. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a cautious 13 off 63 before O’Rourke sent him back to the pavilion.
Rishabh Pant held on to one end and played a gutsy knock of 20 runs amidst a ferocious spell of pace bowling.
Jaiswal and Pant were the only Indian batters who managed to reach double-figures, meanwhile, five batters bagged a duck.
Matt Henry took the final wicket of Kuldeep Yadav (2) to skittle India for 46, completing his five-wicket haul. Meanwhile, O’Rourke returned with bowling figures of 4-22.
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