It was an abject performance with the bat for India in the first innings of the series opener in Bengaluru against New Zealand on Day 2 on Thursday, October 17. Rishabh Pant was the highest scorer, getting 20 and was one of the only two batters to get into double digits as India recorded their third-lowest team score in Test cricket history. There were as many as five ducks in the innings for India as the hosts capitulated to 46 all-out and New Zealand pacers led by Matt Henry were up to their task on a tricky wicket in overcast conditions.
India broke many unwanted records but thankfully got past the dreaded 36, they registered in Adelaide against Australia four years ago. However, social media was not surprised that Jofra Archer had a tweet for 46 as well from 2014, 10 years ago.
Archer, infamous for his Nostradamus-like predictions on X (previously Twitter), has had his posts resurfaced during several big moments in cricket of late and one more was added to the list as New Zealand shot India out for below 46. Take a look at the reactions:
The innings began with India finding themselves at 13/3 before the rain break. Pant and Jaiswal, the only two double-digit scorers for India, taped on the leak just for a bit, before Matt Henry and William O'Rourke ran through India's batting line-up. None of them could offer much resistance as under the cloudy conditions, the Kiwi bowlers were getting huge seam movement and that troubled Indian batters.
New Zealand overhauled India's score with all 10 wickets in hand as Devon Conway came out all guns blazing. Conway completed his fifty off just 54 deliveries before Kuldeep Yadav finally got India the breakthrough, dismissing Tom Latham. India would aim to keep New Zealand's lead to as minimum as possible.
