India endured a historic defeat on home soil, losing to New Zealand in Bengaluru, marking the Kiwis’ first Test win in India since 1988. Tom Latham’s team achieved the victory, largely capitalizing on India’s batting collapse in the first innings, where the hosts were bowled out for just 46 runs. This loss, after 36 years, is a reminder of India’s vulnerability in certain conditions. Here are five key reasons behind India’s crushing defeat:
1) Misreading the Pitch:
The Test was disrupted by rain on the first day, and when play resumed on the second, Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat. However, after India was dismissed for 46 runs, Rohit admitted that he had misread the pitch conditions, which played a critical role in their downfall. His decision to bat first backfired and set the tone for the rest of the match.
2) Collapsing for 46 Runs:
India’s first-innings collapse was a significant factor in their defeat. Being bowled out for 46 is embarrassing at any level of cricket, and it left India with virtually no chance of winning the game. The batting failure gave New Zealand the upper hand from the outset, and India could not recover from this blow.
3) Lower-Order Failure:
While top-order players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rishabh Pant made runs in the second innings, India’s lower-order batsmen failed to contribute. From 433/4, India was bowled out for 462, losing their last six wickets for just 29 runs. In modern cricket, a long tail in batting makes it difficult to win matches. Given the platform set by the top order, India should have reached a score closer to 550.
4) Bowling Struggles:
Aside from Jasprit Bumrah and some efforts from Ravindra Jadeja, India’s bowling attack failed to live up to expectations. Key bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav couldn’t trouble New Zealand’s batsmen enough. Siraj took two wickets but gave away runs at an economy rate of 4.66, while Kuldeep picked up three wickets but was also expensive, conceding at 5.35 runs per over. Ashwin managed only one wicket, with an economy of 5.87, which is high for Test cricket.
5) New Zealand’s Aggressive Batting:
New Zealand handled the rain interruptions smartly, knowing time could be limited. After India’s batting collapse, they pushed for quick runs, attacking India’s bowlers with an aggressive strategy. Latham and his team scored at 4.39 runs per over in the first innings, reminiscent of one-day cricket, putting India under pressure. India failed to counter this approach, and even though the second innings saw them scoring at a rate of 4.64 runs per over, it was not enough to salvage the game.
In the end, New Zealand’s well-planned strategy, combined with India’s batting and bowling failures, led to a memorable win for the visitors, breaking a 36-year-long drought on Indian soil.