IND vs NZ: 3 reasons why India lost the first test in Bengaluru

New Zealand started the IND vs NZ three-test series with an eight-wicket win in Bengaluru.

Over the past 11 years, India rarely used to lose a test match at home. But now they have twice lost the opening test match of a series in 2024.

Since the start of 2013 to the end of 2022, India lost only two out of 42 home test matches. However, since the start of 2023, India have lost three in 12 home tests. All three of them have come under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.

The latest of these losses came in the 1st IND vs NZ test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where New Zealand clinched the rain-marred test by eight wickets, registering their first test match win on Indian soil since 1988.

This is a victory of historic proportion for the Black Caps and one that should send the Indian team management into introspection about the decision they made before and during the match.

Let’s dissect this loss and chalk out the reasons why India lost the IND vs NZ Bengaluru test.

IND vs NZ: 3 reasons why India lost the first test in Bengaluru

1. Decision at toss and bowling selection

India shot themselves in the foot the moment captain Rohit Sharma elected to bat first and picked two seamers and three spinners in the playing XI despite seeing the overcast conditions and knowing that the pitch had been covered for days in the lead-up to the match because of the rain that had also washed out the entire first day.

India got bundled out for 46 in the first innings and it would have been a miracle to win a test match from that point: only once has a team won a test match after getting all out under 50 when England defeated Australia in Sydney in the 1887 Ashes even after being bowled out for 45 in their first innings.

On the other hand, the Kiwis got their selection spot on as they went with three pacers who were ideal for the conditions in Bengaluru. Apart from running riot in India’s first innings, the New Zealand seamers brought their side back with the second new ball in India’s second innings as well, picking up seven wickets for 54 runs.

2. Allowing Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee to get away with a century partnership

Even after being knocked over for 46 runs, the Indian bowlers kept them in the game when they had New Zealand at 233/7 in their first innings. However, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee then posted a partnership of 137 runs off 132 balls which completely put the game in New Zealand’s pocket. The duo mauled the Indian bowlers, and once again the lack of a third pacer hurt the hosts.

And despite India’s batting heroics in their second innings, that stand between Rachin and Southee proved to be pivotal in New Zealand’s victory in the first IND vs NZ test.

3. Collapse in the second innings

With rain predicted from 1 PM on day 5, India could still have given themselves a chance to save the test match had their batsmen survived the second new-ball spells from the New Zealand pacers in their second innings.

Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant’s partnership had wiped out the deficit but the hosts then crumbled shockingly. India went from 408/3 to 462 all out, setting up a target of only 107 runs for the Kiwis. While Sarfaraz was visibly exhausted after a long innings of 150 runs, once Pant got out on 99, the rest couldn’t survive, with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja disappointing the most.

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