New Zealand quickly into the lead after skittling India for 46

New Zealand's cricket team has scored 82 runs for the loss of one wicket, with Conway remaining not out on 61 and Young contributing 5 runs. They currently have a lead of 36 runs over India, who were dismissed for just 46 runs, with Pant top-scoring at 20. Henry was exceptional with the ball, taking 5 wickets for just 15 runs, while O'Rourke also performed well, grabbing 4 wickets for 22 runs.

The wait proved to be worthwhile for New Zealand. On day seven of their Test series in India this year, they finally had the chance to play in Bengaluru on the second day. Unfortunately, they lost the toss when they hoped to bat first on a cloudy day, with a pitch that had been under wraps for an entire week. However, once the match began, New Zealand's pace bowlers dominated, delivering precise and lethal bowling that resulted in India being dismissed for just 46 runs— their lowest score on home soil and the third-lowest in Test history.

This was the fourth-lowest first-innings total in Test cricket history for a team that chose to bat. By the time tea was served, New Zealand was comfortably ahead with nine wickets still in hand.

It's quite possible that both teams misunderstood the situation. India won the toss, chose to play with three spinners, and opted to bat first, focusing more on the dry pitch rather than the cloudy weather and the moisture on the surface from the covers before the Test match. On the other hand, New Zealand took a different approach: they preferred to bat first but decided to field three fast bowlers, including Matt Henry, who is known to thrive in these kinds of conditions. Henry ended up taking five wickets, marking his 100th wicket in Test cricket.

From the very first couple of overs, it was clear that the ball was swinging more than either team had anticipated. New Zealand began with only two slip fielders but quickly adjusted to the situation. On the other hand, India seemed to be responding on the fly rather than relying on the mental readiness they displayed during difficult conditions in England back in 2021.

His natural reaction was to respond aggressively. Jaiswal made his first loose shot after just the 12th ball he faced, despite Tim Southee putting him under pressure. Rohit Sharma narrowly avoided being given out lbw by Henry, which was reviewed on umpire's call, but soon after, he attempted to take on Southee and hit the ball high over his head. However, the ball, which had some wobble, curved back in and struck him on the top of his leg.

With Shubman Gill sidelined due to a stiff neck, Virat Kohli stepped up to the No. 3 position for the first time since 2016. Although it was a bold move for Kohli to take on this role, KL Rahul, currently batting at No. 6, might actually be the most capable player for challenging conditions. Rahul stands out as the only Asian opener to have scored centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa.

It turned out that Kohli never had an opportunity to falter or demonstrate his skills, as the ninth ball directed at him veered back unexpectedly, aided by Will O'Rourke's height. Glenn Phillips, positioned at leg slip, caught the ball off Kohli's glove as he lunged forward, indicating there was a strategy in place.

Next up came an unexpected twist in the batting order when Sarfaraz Khan entered the field at the fourth position, which is one higher than his usual spot in domestic matches. It only took him three deliveries to go for an ambitious aerial drive, but he ended up mis-hitting it, leading to an incredible catch by Devon Conway at mid-off. Conway dove to his right, snatching the ball impressively behind him. This was a well-deserved reward for Henry, who managed to get an average seam movement of 1.3 degrees during the first session.

Rain interrupted the game when the score was 13 for 3 after 12.4 overs, with no boundaries scored. At this stage, India had a grip on only 62% of the balls bowled. The bowling attack was unforgiving, with nearly half of the deliveries pitched on a good length, and only a handful bowled fuller without becoming half-volleys.

In principle, a break should benefit the bowling team since it allows their bowlers to prepare for more overs. However, in this case, they seemed to lose some of the incredible fortune they had been experiencing. Tom Blundell let an easy catch slip from Rishabh Pant, and the batters either left the ball or sent edges wide of the fielders. The intensity of the bowling also dipped a little. For a short time, it looked like India's total of 36 all out could be in jeopardy.

In the end, the fourth wicket fell not from challenging balls but from a well-timed cut shot by Jaiswal, who scored 13 runs off 63 balls, managing to dominate just 42 of those. The momentum had shifted, leading to a rapid series of wickets around lunch. Rahul edged a delivery from O'Rourke down the leg side just six minutes before the break, while Ravindra Jadeja followed suit with a flashy flick that resulted in a leading edge, which turned out to be the final ball of the session.

Henry bowled a brilliant delivery right after lunch, hitting R Ashwin's bat on a well-placed ball. Pant managed to avoid being out on the hat-trick delivery, but just two balls later, he edged Henry's bowling to the second slip. Once again, Henry bowled on a good length, creating some seam movement to catch Pant off guard.

But Henry wasn't finished. He sprinted full speed to his left from the fine leg position, earning Will O'Rourke his fourth wicket when Jasprit Bumrah decided to leave after a delivery that bounced unexpectedly and struck him. Henry owed his five-wicket haul to substitute Michael Bracewell, who made a diving catch to his left at gully to dismiss Kuldeep.

Everything aligned for India in that moment. The sun was shining as they began their bowling, but they were limited to just two fast bowlers. The conditions offered less swing, allowing New Zealand to play more aggressively. Every so often, Bumrah bowled a fuller delivery, but with decreased movement compared to the morning, Conway managed to hit him for runs. Spin bowling came into play in the eighth over, and Conway wasted no time going after Ashwin, hitting him confidently down the ground and using both styles of the sweep shot.

During his second stint, Mohammed Siraj managed to get Tom Latham to edge the ball, but Rahul missed it entirely at the second slip position. As a result, New Zealand’s total surpassed India’s score with that boundary. Just ten minutes before the tea break, Kuldeep took Latham out lbw, yet Conway and Tom Young appeared to be settled as the teams headed for the break.