On the fifth day of the first Test match between India and New Zealand, the visitors clinched a thrilling victory, chasing down the 107 runs required with ease, thanks to the unbeaten partnership between Will Young (48*) and Rachin Ravindra (39*). India, despite Jasprit Bumrah’s early strikes, was unable to defend their low target, losing the match after a valiant second innings effort.
India’s hopes were briefly reignited when Bumrah sent New Zealand captain Tom Latham back to the pavilion for a duck, and soon after dismissed Devon Conway for 29. However, with just 107 runs to defend, the Indian bowling attack struggled to make further inroads as Young and Ravindra steered New Zealand to victory without further loss.
Sarfaraz Khan’s Heroics in Vain
India’s second innings performance saw a commendable recovery after their disastrous first innings collapse for just 46 runs. Sarfaraz Khan played a brilliant knock of 150, and Rishabh Pant contributed a crucial 99, nearly bringing India back into the game. At one stage, India was cruising at 403/3, but a sudden middle-order collapse saw them all out for 462, giving New Zealand a manageable target to chase.
New Zealand’s bowlers played their part well, with William O’Rourke and Matt Henry both claiming three wickets each, breaking the Indian momentum just when they were looking to stretch their lead.
Rachin Ravindra’s Century and Conway’s 99 Set the Stage
Earlier in the match, New Zealand posted a solid total of 402 in their first innings, with Rachin Ravindra leading the charge, scoring 134. Devon Conway was unlucky to miss out on a century, falling for 91. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav each took three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj picked up two as India tried to limit New Zealand’s advantage.
India’s disastrous start to the Test match, bowled out for 46 in the first session of the game, left them facing a massive uphill battle. While they fought back with resilience in the second innings, the damage from the early collapse proved too much to overcome.