Failure To Read Pitch, Allowing NZ Tail To Wag & Collapse In 2nd Inns: Shocking Mistakes That Led To India's Bengaluru Test Defeat

India’s fortress finally crumbled, as New Zealand handed them their first home Test defeat in 36 years, wrapping up a historic win in Bengaluru on Sunday. Tom Latham and his boys completely outplayed Rohit Sharma's side in the series opener at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, leaving Indian fans stunned.

This Test was a game of firsts for the Kiwis. Not only did they bowl India out for their lowest-ever home Test score, but they also racked up the joint-fourth biggest lead by a visiting team in India.

Even though India managed to claw back on Day 3, a late collapse handed New Zealand control, leaving them just 107 runs to chase on the final day to seal the victory.

India’s performance was riddled with mistakes that paved the way for this defeat.

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At one point, Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant gave the home crowd some hope with their brilliant 177-run partnership in the second innings. But even that couldn't save India from their eventual downfall.

Opting to Bat after winning the Toss

Rohit Sharma himself admitted after Day 2 that he misread the pitch and made a crucial error in opting to bat first under overcast skies. This decision played right into New Zealand’s hands, as Latham’s three-pronged pace attack bowled India out for a dismal 46 runs in just one session.

From then on, India was playing catch-up. Despite Sarfaraz and Pant's incredible fightback, once they were dismissed, India’s chances crumbled.

NZ Tail-enders Hurt India

A major misstep that hurt India was letting New Zealand’s tail-enders escape after having them at 233 for 7 on Day 3.

Instead of cleaning up the innings, India leaked another 169 runs before finally wrapping up New Zealand for 402. That extra cushion of runs proved to be crucial for the Kiwis.

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Knockout Punch - 2nd Innings Collapse

But the real knockout punch came when India collapsed in their second innings. Southee broke the pivotal partnership between Sarfaraz and Pant, dismissing the centurion in the second session, opening the floodgates for New Zealand. Pant, heartbreakingly, fell for 99, and with his wicket, India's hopes fell apart.

What followed was a disastrous procession of wickets. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammad Siraj couldn’t back up the good work of Sarfaraz and Pant. India lost their last 7 wickets for just 54 runs, tumbling from 408 for 3 to 462 all-out.

It was the final nail in the coffin, leaving India with too few runs for their bowlers to defend.

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Despite Bumrah’s best efforts on the final day, India only managed to take two New Zealand wickets as the Kiwis chased down the target with ease.

They cruised to a comfortable win in the first session, clinching a famous victory on Indian soil, and leaving Rohit Sharma’s team with plenty to ponder ahead of the next game.