Dumsha Wijesinghe JadeTimes Staff
W.G.S.D.Wijesinghe is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Sports News
New Zealand secured their first Test victory in India in 36 years with an eight wicket win on the final day of the first Test in Bengaluru, taking a 1-0 lead in the best of three series.
India, bowled out for a shocking 46 in their first innings marking their lowest Test total on home soil struggled to recover. New Zealand's bowling attack, led by Matt Henry (5-15) and O'Rourke (4-22), set the foundation for the victory. Despite a resilient second innings from India, featuring a superb 150 from Sarfaraz Khan and 99 from Rishabh Pant, they managed to post a total of 462, giving the New Zealanders a target of 107 to win.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham, dismissed for a duck by Jasprit Bumrah early in the chase, watched from the dressing room as Will Young and Rachin Ravindra guided the team from 35-2 to victory, with Young finishing on 48 and Ravindra contributing 39.
Latham expressed pride in the historic win, saying, "There have been many teams that have come here over the years, so it’s a special feeling." This was Latham’s first win as full time captain after taking over from Tim Southee earlier in the month.
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, acknowledged New Zealand's dominance but found positives in India's fightback during the second innings. "We didn’t expect to be 46 all out, but credit to New Zealand. Games like this happen," he said. India's bowlers made early inroads, with Bumrah removing both Latham and Devon Conway, but New Zealand remained composed, with Young hitting the winning runs and Ravindra named player of the match for his century in the first innings.
As the teams prepare for the second Test in Pune, Rohit emphasized India's experience in bouncing back from home defeats, noting, "We’ve been here before, these things happen. We know what it takes and will give it all in the next two Tests." India, having won 18 consecutive home Test series since 2012, will be looking to maintain their strong record on home soil.
