Bengaluru: India’s batting lineup faltered dramatically on Day 2 of the ongoing First Test against New Zealand, leaving the hosts in a perilous position at Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.
After being bowled out for a meagre 46 in their first innings, India were in big trouble as New Zealand took a 36-run lead by tea with 82/1 on the board.
New Zealand’s openers, Tom Latham and Devon Conway, began confidently after India’s first-innings debacle. Latham, however, fell for 15 after being trapped LBW by Kuldeep Yadav in a review drama, but not before Conway and he had set a solid foundation.
Will Young, on 5*, partnering Conway, who remains aggressive with 61 off 64 deliveries, steering New Zealand to a commanding position.
India’s bowlers, led by spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep, were able to generate some movement and turn, but New Zealand counter attacked with calculated aggression. Conway hit nine boundaries, including two sixes off Ashwin, while Young opened his account with a boundary off Kuldeep.
Earlier in the day, India’s decision to bat first proved costly. Kickstarting the first innings, India were 13/3 after rain disruptions as the middle order crumbled under the pressure of New Zealand’s relentless pace attack. Matt Henry and William O'Rourke were the architects of India’s collapse, as the side managed only 46 in their first innings.
The visitors, seizing on overcast conditions, used the pitch’s moisture to swing and seam the ball effectively. India's top order, including KL Rahul (0) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (13), struggled to cope with the movement, while Ravindra Jadeja’s duck just before lunch sealed India’s fate.
Rishabh Pant's counterattack (15* at lunch) provided fleeting hope, but with wickets tumbling, India’s position remained dire.
As New Zealand pile on the runs, India's spin trio of Ashwin, Kuldeep, and Jadeja will need to step up to prevent a massive lead on a track that is beginning to favour the batsmen. With 41 overs left in the day, New Zealand are well-poised to extend their advantage and put the pressure squarely back on the struggling Indian side.
Brief scores
New Zealand 82/1 (20 overs) lead India by 36 runs; Devon Conway 61 (64); Will Young 5* (7); Kuldeep Yadav: 1/15 (3 overs).
