India have been bowled out for 46 in the first innings of their first Test against New Zealand, their lowest Test score ever on home soil.
Veteran New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee clean-bowled India captain Rohit Sharma for two, star Virat Kohli was one of five Indian batters to be dismissed for a duck and they collapsed from 31-3 to 46 all out.
Rohit, Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan were all back in the pavilion with only 10 on the board, the latter two making ducks, before Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) and Rishabh Pant (20), the only two batters to score more than four runs, attempted to steady the ship with a stand of 21.
But from 31-3, India were soon languishing on 34-7 with KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin departing for ducks after Jaiswal made 13.
Pant went for a top score of 20 as Matt Henry (5-15), who moved to 100 Test wickets, and William O’Rourke (4-22) cleaned up the tail in a remarkable passage of play that gave the Black Caps complete control.
It is India’s lowest-ever Test innings score on home soil, and their third-lowest Test score ever – their worst coming against Australia in Adelaide in 2020, when they were bowled out for 36.
India’s previous lowest total at home had been the 75 they made against the West Indies in Delhi in 1987.
After beating Bangladesh 2-0 in the preceding Test series, a full-strength Indian squad was once again available for selection.
New Zealand has already been on a long subcontinental tour. It began with a washed-out Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, India, followed by a 2-0 series loss in Sri Lanka.
Watch day four of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.50am on Wednesday, ahead of play starting from 6am. Stream with NOW
