Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: New Zealand top-order batters survived hostile opening spells from pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj as the Kiwis recorded a famous win on Indian soil for the first time in 36 years in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Chasing a tricky 107 on the fifth and final day, the visitors registered a solid eight-wicket win over India, which is now their first win in the country since 1988.
As New Zealand clinched the game which swung like a pendulum throughout four days, they also took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
After light drizzle and wet outfield delayed the start of play by an hour on the final day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, India bowlers came in hard at the Kiwi batters. But first innings centurion Rachin Racindra headlined the morning session, taking the team across the finish-line alongside Will Young inside 28 overs.
The victory marks New Zealand’s first Test win in India since the John Wright-led team triumphed by 136 runs at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in 1988.
As It Happened
In the chase, New Zealand had some early jitters as they lost Tom Latham — for a duck — and Devon Conway (17) , but Will Young (48 not out) and Rachin (39 not out) shared a terrific 75-run partnership for the third wicket to steer their side home
Despite the loss, India showed resilience, bouncing back after being bowled out for a lowly 46 in their first innings and will now need to build on these positives quickly as the second Test in Pune is set to start on October 24.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s side will have to contemplate retaining Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 150 in the second innings, given that Shubman Gill is likely to return after recovering from a stiff neck.
Another tough call that Rohit and head coach and Gautam Gambhir will have to take is whether to stick with the three-spinner combination or not, which backfired in Bengaluru.
The final day began with a delayed start at 10:15 am due to a wet outfield, but soon Bumrah (2/29), operating from the dressing room end, showcased his class. He induced considerable movement, dismissing Tom Latham in the first over of the day for a six-ball duck.
While Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj tested the Kiwi batters with movement and bounce, India felt the absence of a third pacer under overcast skies.
Conway, the other overnight batter, had a nervy stay and Bumrah eventually trapped him in front of the stumps with a skidding, in-swinging delivery for 17.
With New Zealand at 35 for two, the match seemed balanced as a few more wickets could have turned the tide in India’s favor. But Young and Rachin provided stability to New Zealand’s chase. As the sun emerged, the ball’s movement became predictable, and the Kiwi batters capitalized on the conditions, hitting boundaries to ease up the pressure.
Ravindra Jadeja, who began with a no-ball, couldn’t make a significant impact, conceding 14 runs in his first two overs. The Chinnaswamy pitch offered little assistance to spinners on the final day, partly due to rain and cooler temperatures keeping the pitch intact. With each run reducing the target, New Zealand’s batsmen grew more confident and started playing their shots, including a clean hit over mid-wicket for six off left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep.
Will Young sealed the victory by turning Jadeja for two runs, prompting joyous celebrations in the New Zealand dressing room.
