This morning the Test in Bengaluru was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for those who enjoys fiery pace in the game of cricket.
New Zealand`s Tim Southee and Matt Henry dismantled India`s renowned batting lineup, delivering a rare display in modern cricket.
In a shocking turn of events, India was bowled out for just 46 runs in their first innings against New Zealand, marking their third-lowest total in Test history and the lowest ever recorded on home soil and in Asia.
The all-time lowest score for India remains 36, a dismal record set in December 2020 in Adelaide.
Before today, their previous lowest at home was 75 runs against the West Indies back in 1987.
The Indian innings saw five batsmen dismissed without scoring, a situation not seen since 1999 when five players also fell for zero runs against New Zealand in Mohali, where India was eventually all out for 83.
Earlier this year in Cape Town, six Indian batsmen were similarly dismissed for zero, reflecting a troubling trend.
Despite this below ordinary performance, Bangladesh holds the record for the highest score in a similar scenario, having posted 365 runs against Sri Lanka in 2022, even after six players were out for naught.
While discussions around these numbers might overshadow New Zealand`s achievement, the morning was a brilliant display of pace, swing, and bounce from the Kiwi trio.
Recent matches have largely showcased spin bowling, but New Zealand’s fast bowlers reminded fans of the effectiveness of pace on a green wicket.
New Zealand`s players were eager to take the field, especially given their recent struggles with the weather in India.
Their last Test against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain, and prior to this match, six days of rain had affected the schedule. However, once they stepped onto the pitch, their performance was impressive.
It seemed almost as if India was expecting this outcome, as they won the toss and opted to bat under overcast conditions that had delayed the match.
Interestingly, New Zealand`s captain, Tom Latham, indicated he would have chosen to bat had he won the toss, suggesting fortune favored the Kiwis.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma aimed for a solid start but fell to a big shot attempt in the seventh over after waiting for the right moment.
Sarfaraz Khan played a wide delivery but was caught brilliantly by Conway at mid-off.
Rishabh Pant was the top scorer for India with just 20 runs off 49 balls, a reflection of the challenging batting conditions.
The second-highest score came from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who managed only 13 runs.
The remaining nine batsmen were dismissed for single-digit scores, underscoring the batting collapse.
Henry claimed five wickets, achieving the milestone of 100 Test wickets in just 26 matches by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav.
Wagnor contributed with four wickets, while Southee took the final wicket.
As the series progresses, cricket fans are left to wonder how India will bounce back from this humiliating display.
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