India's hara-kiri at Chinnaswamy puts New Zealand in dominant position

At 34/9, India were caught between the rock and the hard place. It was going to hurt them whichever side they ended up on. Will they get bowled out under 36, which is their lowest total in a Test innings, or go past it. They eventually went past India's second lowest total (42) as well to be bowled out for 46, but there was no escaping the ignominy. Five ducks and three single digit scores capturing India's inept batting after Rohit Sharma opted to bat first in overcast conditions here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

If the gloomy conditions provided a perfect backdrop for India's abject capitulation, the bright sunlight was matched only by New Zealand's sparkling show.

When the stumps were drawn on the second day of the opening Test due to fading light, the Kiwis were 180/3, having established a handsome 134-run lead. Devon Conway's enterprising 91 (105b, 11x4, 3x6) was the cornerstone of New Zealand's robust reply while Rachin Ravindra (22) and Daryl Mitchell (14) were keeping vigil at the crease.     

New Zealand backed their strength to come good and packed their attack with three pacers while India, expecting the pitch to aid turn, included Kuldeep Yadav at the expense of an in-form pacer Akash Deep.

Both teams wanted to bat first, and in that sense, it was a good toss to lose for New Zealand. Having included three spinners, India's decision to bat first was a no-brainer but it backfired spectacularly with the visiting pacers running roughshod over hosts' venerated batting line-up. The cloud cover and the sweating on the pitch which largely remained under covers over the last three days due to rain, were godsend for the trio of Tim Southee (1/8), Matt Henry (5/15) and William O'Rourke (4/22) who expertly exploited the conditions, keeping the ball mostly at good length and forcing a pre-meditated Indian batters into mistakes.

India tried to maintain their much-professed aggressive approach but neither the conditions nor the accurate bowling allowed them to score as freely as they have been for some time now.

Bottled up for far too long to his own liking, Rohit Sharma charged Southee but the ball jagged back to bowl him through the gate. With Shubman Gill ruled out due to stiff neck, Virat Kohli walked in at No. 3, a position he batted at last in 2016. The right-hander barely looked comfortable, struggling throughout his short stay to ascertain the behaviour of the ball. He was finally done in a by an O'Rourke delivery that rose on him at good length, and with the batter already committed to front foot, had little chance of either leaving it or keeping it down, but to glove it to Glenn Phillips at leg slip. 

Sarfaraz Khan, the replacement for Gill, lasted three balls falling to a poor shot. A drizzle at this juncture (13/3) gave temporary relief and a chancy stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, who was dropped on 7, post resumption raised hopes of a recovery. But Jaiswal's rasping cut off O'Rourke was beautifully snapped by Ajaz Patel at point that opened the floodgates. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin fell in the space of eight balls and it wasn't long before New Zealand wrapped up the proceedings with Henry claiming a fifer and Kuldeep becoming his 100th Test scalp.

Having conjured up a one of their worst batting shows, Indians needed to make most of the chances that would come their way. The chances came but most of them went abegging. Pant missed two stumping chances (Will Young on 18 and Conway on 89), an unsighted Rahul couldn't hold on to Tom Latham's edge at second slip, Rohit dropped Young at lone slip while a few edges fell short, summing up a forgettable day for India on the park.