The first clash of a thrilling three-match Test series between India and New Zealand is taking place at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Day one, October 16th, was washed out by rain. As the skies cleared, the action commenced on day two with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma elected to bat first—a decision that backfired.
The Indian batting lineup was no match for the aggressive Kiwi seamers, who exploited the overcast conditions expertly, reducing India to a paltry 46 runs. From India's end, only wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to reach double figures, scoring 20 and 13 respectively. Sadly, five batters couldn't even open their accounts. New Zealand's standout bowler was Matt Henry, who scalped five wickets, while William O'Rourke and Tim Southee took four and one respectively.
♦ Notably, this score ranks as India's third-lowest in Test history and their lowest against New Zealand. Previously, in 1976, India had been bundled out for 81 runs in a second innings in Wellington, thus breaking a 48-year-old record.
♦ India's dismal record in Test innings is a 36-run total achieved against Australia in the Adelaide Test in December 2020. The next lowest was 42 runs against England during a Lord's Test in June 1974.
♦ At home, this represents the lowest Test score for India, beaten only by their 75 runs against the West Indies during the Delhi Test of 1987. It is also the lowest Test score by any team in India since New Zealand’s 62 runs against India in the 2021 Mumbai Test.
♦ Furthermore, the 46-run innings is the lowest score ever recorded by any team in Asia. Prior to this, the lowest was West Indies’ 53 runs against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1986, matched by Pakistan's 53 against Australia in Sharjah in 2002.
Lowest Scores in Test Cricket in India
46 - India vs New Zealand, Bengaluru, 2024* 62 - New Zealand vs India, Mumbai, 2021 75 - India vs West Indies, Delhi, 1987 76 - India vs South Africa, Ahmedabad, 2008 79 - South Africa vs India, Nagpur, 2015
India's Lowest Test Scores
36 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2020 42 vs England, Lord's, 1974 46 vs New Zealand, Bengaluru, 2024* 58 vs Australia, Brisbane, 1947 58 vs England, Manchester, 1952
Most Ducks for India in a Test Innings
6 vs England, Manchester, 2014 (1st Innings) 6 vs South Africa, Cape Town, 2024 (2nd Innings) 5 vs Australia, Adelaide, 1948 (3rd Innings) 5 vs England, Leeds, 1952 (3rd Innings) 5 vs New Zealand, Mohali, 1999 (1st Innings) 5 vs New Zealand, Bengaluru, 2024 (1st Innings)*
Best Performance by a New Zealand Fast Bowler in India (An Innings)
7/64- Tim Southee vs India, Bengaluru, 2012 6/27- Dion Nash vs India, Mohali, 1999 6/49- Richard Hadlee vs India, Wankhede, 1988 5/15- Matt Henry vs India, Bengaluru, 2024*
Fastest to 100 Test Wickets for New Zealand (Test Matches)
25 - Richard Hadlee 26 - Neil Wagner 26 - Matt Henry* 27 - Bruce Taylor
