India’s Remarkable Batting Comeback Against New Zealand in the 1st Test
India has primed themselves for greatness in Bengaluru with a thrilling exhibition of batting mastery.
The squad bravely rallied after being bowled out for just 46 runs in their opening innings, leaving the Test match in the balance. With a lead of 125 runs, New Zealand still has the advantage, but India’s aggressive batting strategy has them aiming for an incredible comeback win.
Key Performances and Match Scorecard
India 46 and 231 for 3 (Sarfaraz 70*, Kohli 70, Rohit 52) trail New Zealand 402 (Ravindra 134, Conway 91, Southee 65, Jadeja 3-72) by 125 runs.
Match Analysis
India were considering winning a Test match even though only one team has ever won one after scoring less than the 46 they scored in the opening innings. Bengaluru’s brilliant batting strategy has shown them that they are onto something exceptional. Don’t get me wrong, India has been playing fantastic cricket lately, so even a 100 or so in the fourth innings will be difficult to chase. However, New Zealand is still ahead on cold figures.
One day after being dismissed for 46 and trailing by 136 runs, which grew to 356 all together, India batted at a rate of more than five an over until the final few overs, when they finished 125 runs behind with seven wickets remaining. Glenn Phillips gave New Zealand a late boost when he sneaked an outside edge from Virat Kohli to the final ball of the day.
You need pretty much everything to go your way when you’re bowled out for 46 in the opening innings, but India didn’t give up easily. The fastest hundred-run partnership against India in history cut short their difficult bowling early in the day, but their batsmen performed admirably, placing tremendous pressure on New Zealand on what was now a flat wicket. Spread-out fields provided for easy runs, bowlers made frequent errors, and a catch was dropped.
Not even the falling wickets could stop India’s progress. Following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s stumping, Rohit Sharma scored 16 runs in his following eight balls. Following Rohit’s bizarre departure, Sarfaraz Khan emerged and quickly reached 23 off just 16. Similar to Joe Root amidst the furious England hitters, Virat Kohli maintained his composure while simultaneously taking a few steps forward to hit Ajaz Patel for six, seemingly as a sign of appreciation for the constructive attitude. This strategy, though, will be put to the test on the fourth morning when a new batter, unbeaten on 70, joins Sarfaraz.
A lot will also rely on whether Rishabh Pant’s mobility would be restricted following his one and a half day absence from play due to a knock to his knee sustained in a car accident. The good news for India is that, in addition to being padded up with KL Rahul, he took off the pads on day three even though he was not required to bat.
In the morning, it was not the case. During their five-over periods, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj both claimed a wicket, giving India an unrelenting start. Neither confidence-boosting nor run-producing was the manner Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry continued to bat at the ball. After losing their first four wickets for 53, India now faced a lengthy tail.
Returning to the city of his father’s birth, Rachin Ravindra had different plans. In just over 20 overs, he and Tim Southee combined for 137 runs, the second-fastest partnership of 100 or more against India. Southee was only faced with the first three balls of the first 19 balls in the stand because Ravindra had so much faith in him. This allowed the seam bowler, who was famed for his six-hitting, to feel more accountable.
Ravindra batted with both energy and respect after beginning the day on 22 and hitting a boundary off the first ball he faced, a loosener from Siraj. The fact that Bumrah and Siraj virtually ever offered him a loose ball allowed him to score 101 of his runs against spin.
Eleven overs before the new ball was available, Ravindra charged Kuldeep Yadav and lofted him back over his head to reach his fifty, marking the first indication of any shot production. After that, he reached midwicket to extend his lead above 200. Southee received a half-volley in the same over, which he lofted for his first boundary.
The flood gates had suddenly opened. India went from waiting for the new ball to postponing it since they needed time to recover and it didn’t become available till close to lunchtime. New Zealand made 102 runs in the 12 overs that before the half, Ravindra improved from 48 off 86 to 104 off 125, and Southee struck three sixes to surpass Virender Sehwag’s total of 91. R Ashwin was brutally dismissed for bowling overpitched balls; in his 16 overs, he went for 94 runs and claimed one wicket with a reverse sweep.
The new ball continued to pass the bat after lunch, but New Zealand was able to reach 400. When India batted first, they became even more aggressive, which made sense on a flatter surface. When the ball was fresh, Jaiswal still required some luck, but he also dashed down the wicket to drive Matt Henry past mid-off for four.
Henry went too full in search of swing when the ball was not seaming, which gave Rohit the advantage early in the innings. The run-rate continued to rise steadily, but India seemed content to accept the risk associated with their aggressive strategy. There were a few gasps when Jaiswal rushed at Ajaz and stumped him off a non-turning ball, but this was not a team to send conflicting signals. This was the strategy that had spread the field and given India a rapid seventy-two runs; they were content to accept a dismissal for it.
The way India was thinking was encapsulated by Rohit’s early attack on Henry, even though it took him 15 balls to get off the pair. He reached his fifty in just 59 balls with a drive for a four, a draw for a six, and another pull for a four.
And suddenly a wicket appeared. When the ball struck Rohit’s dead bat in defence of Ajaz, it bounced behind the crease, hit the inner half of the bat, and top spun onto the wicket. Though it’s unlikely he had enough time to kick it away, Rohit’s ignorance of the ball’s location may indicate a lack of awareness.
A beautiful 136-person relationship ensued. Sarfaraz had a cunning way of playing the ball either daringly early or impossibly late. Sweeps were used to counteract spin, and pace was nearly always directed behind the wicket. He was ducking William O’Rourke at one point, but the ball nipped back at him, so he just happened to ramp it over the goalie. When he skipped down and lofted Ajaz over far off, Kohli was more conventional.
There were plenty of runs, bowlers made mistakes, a Henry-esque reverse swing was navigated, and Ajaz dropped Kohli at slip off Phillips, which was an unusual move for a slip fielder. In order to survive in the world of international cricket, wicketkeeper Phillips has forced himself to transform into a useful off-spinner. He seems to put a lot more body than fingers into the ball, but he persists in trying and using the angles. He took the smallest of edges to lift New Zealand with the final ball of the day, managing to obtain less turn than anticipated.
