IND VS NZ 1st test: Rain aids New Zealand again, defeats India by 8 wickets breaking 36-years losing streak in India

A match that was expected to be a miracle for India ended in heartbreak. New Zealand defeated the men in Blue by 8 wickets on Day 5 of the first test at Chinnaswami Stadium.

The rain was expected to wash away the majority of the overs; however, the match saw otherwise. The first day was totally washed off, but a late start on the second day and some play-pause effect throughout the match affected little to nothing in the match. Kudos to the field management of Chinnaswami Stadium and their SubAir procedure to drain away the water within minutes.

Not blaming the rain or otherwise, the captain of the Indian Cricket team showed enough courage to come forward and accept himself mistaking the pitch behavior, before choosing to bat on winning the toss.

Day 2 Massacre

India vs. New Zealand 1st Test saw India crumbling to a dismal 46 all out, their third-lowest score in Test history and the lowest ever at home.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India struggled against New Zealand’s bowling attack. Tim Southee opened the bowling attack for the Kiwis and dismissed Rohit Sharma early, followed by quick wickets of Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also fell cheaply, leaving India at 34/6 by lunch.

Rishabh Pant, even though he got a life while batting at 7, was the only notable resistance but eventually fell too. 

In reply, New Zealand took control, with Devon Conway scoring 91, guiding his team to 180/3 by the end of Day 2.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant injured his knee while keeping a ball from Jadeja and was seen leaving the field wincing.

Day 3 comeback for India

On day 3, the match resumed late due to the interruption of the rain.

India's bowlers struck early in the morning, with Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah dismissing Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, but New Zealand's strong batting performance kept them in control.

Led by Rachin Ravindra's 134. Ravindra and Tim Southee's century stand for the 8th wicket, New Zealand out a mammoth 402 runs on the board.

Coming to bat, Rohit Sharma (52) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) created a sturdy base for India in the second innings.

Virat Kohli completed his 9000 test runs, but not before he got out in the most unfortunate way while he was batting 70.

Kohli, with Sarfaraz Khan on the other side, added 136 runs for the third wicket before Glen Phillips provided a breakthrough. Sarfaraz stood unbeaten at 70, leading India to a great fightback on Day 4.

India finished Day 3 of the Test against New Zealand at 231/3, trailing by 125 runs.

Day 4 dominance

On Day 4 of the IND vs. NZ 1st Test, Sarfaraz Khan reached his maiden Test century, guiding India to 344/3 before rain interrupted play. He went on to score 150 before being dismissed as he attempted to lift the ball over cover but was caught by Ajaz Patel. His performance not only drew a standing ovation from the crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium but also stabilized India at 413/4. 

However, India began to lose wickets quickly as Rishabh Pant fell agonizingly short of a century, out for 99, followed by KL Rahul's dismissal for 12. Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin also fell in quick succession, with India finishing at 462/9, leading by 106 runs. 

Just as New Zealand's batters stepped out to chase, rain once again halted play with the Blackcaps needing 107 runs to win.

Day 5: Heartbreak for India and history created for New Zealand

On Day 5 of the 1st Test at Bengaluru, rain threatened to disrupt play, but the outfield gradually dried up, and the action resumed. Jasprit Bumrah gave India hope by dismissing New Zealand captain Tom Latham early for a duck. Conway too departed soon, but Will Young and Rachin Ravindra steadied the innings, navigating challenging conditions.

India’s bowlers, including Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, struggled to break the partnership. New Zealand sealed an 8-wicket victory.

Rain never disappoints the Kiwis, as they created history by winning in India after 36 years, since its last win in 1988.