The second day of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru belonged entirely to the visitors. After a rain-affected opening day, New Zealand’s seamers, led by Matt Henry, made full use of the damp conditions on the second morning. India, having opted to bat first, faced a fierce bowling attack, with Henry and William O’Rourke utilizing the seam movement and swing to great effect.
Henry was particularly lethal, claiming his first five-wicket haul against India and bundling out the hosts for a paltry 46 — their lowest total at home and third-lowest in Test cricket history. India’s decision to bat first proved costly, as the top order crumbled under relentless pressure, giving New Zealand a significant advantage.
Devon Conway and Will Young shine with the bat
With a meager target of 46 runs to surpass, New Zealand’s openers began their innings under favorable conditions. The sun was out, the pitch had eased up, and the movement that troubled Indian batters was less pronounced. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj tried to create breakthroughs, but Devon Conway showed great resilience and intent. He played confidently, especially against the spinners, and was quick to attack Ravichandran Ashwin as soon as he was brought into the attack.
Despite the first breakthrough when Kuldeep Yadav trapped Tom Latham lbw, Conway and Will Young formed a solid partnership, adding 75 runs for the second wicket. Their efforts put New Zealand in a commanding position, comfortably surpassing India’s first-innings score and extending their lead.
India’s brief comeback as Conway falls short of century
India managed to claw back in the final session, taking two quick wickets that slightly dented New Zealand’s charge. Ravindra Jadeja broke the crucial stand by dismissing Young for 33, and Ashwin followed it up by taking the prized wicket of Conway, who fell just nine runs short of what would have been a spectacular century. Despite missing out on a ton, Conway’s 91-run knock was a key factor in New Zealand’s dominance on Day 2.
New Zealand in command, lead by 134 runs
At stumps, New Zealand finished at 180/3, holding a lead of 134 runs. It was a day of complete dominance for the visitors, with Henry’s five-wicket haul setting the tone in the morning and Conway’s near-century consolidating their grip on the match. India will need a remarkable effort from their bowlers on Day 3 to contain New Zealand and prevent the lead from growing further.
Also READ: IND vs NZ: 3 reasons behind India’s batting collapse in the first Test
What’s next: Indian bowlers need to step up
Heading into Day 3, New Zealand will look to extend their lead and bat India out of the match. The pressure is firmly on the Indian bowlers to take quick wickets in the morning session and halt New Zealand’s progress. With the pitch expected to deteriorate further, the morning spells could prove crucial in determining the course of the match.
Here is how fans reacted:
A day to remember for Matt Henry 👏 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/H009KxzhXk
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 17, 2024
Last 2 Tests for NZ in India
2021 – Ajaz Patel took All 10 wickets in an innings.
2024 – India 46 all-out without Ajaz Patel bowling.Then – Left-arm Spinners took all 17 wickets India lost in the match.
Now – Right-arm Pacers took all 10 Indian wickets India lost.#INDvNZ— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) October 17, 2024
A terrific day for NZ, as they reach stumps on 180-3, leading by 134
After being put in to bowl, they could not have asked for a better day!#INDvNZ
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) October 17, 2024
New Zealand lead by 134 runs#INDvNZ #Test #cricket #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/faD2PyZkuW
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) October 17, 2024
Hugely forgettable day for India. However difficult the conditions, they will be the first to admit that 46 is unacceptable. This match is in New Zealand’s corner unless there is a dramatic start when play begins tomorrow. And well deserved too for NZ, they have played with great…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 17, 2024
Perfect storm for India.
Lively pitch, amazingly accurate bowling by NZ to the make most of the conditions & then brilliant catching! 👏👏👏#INDvsNZ— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 17, 2024
Ind batters this morning 🫣 Combination of tough conditions and great bowling by NZ #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/mIIibHikjs
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 17, 2024
Look on the bright side Indian fans .. at least you have got past 36 .. 😜😜
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 17, 2024
Team India be like.#TestCricket | #IndvNZ | #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/kPxdt3TWN3
— Rajabets 🇮🇳👑 (@smileagainraja) October 17, 2024
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc seeing this scoreline.#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/pl10KzOvRw
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) October 17, 2024
Rahane and Pujara, every time Indian batting collapses. #Indvnz pic.twitter.com/md6CV2oaL4
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) October 17, 2024
No one….
Indian cricket fans today :#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/3BrZjjqd1f
— UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) October 17, 2024
A 250 Run Lead for Newzealand looks almost certain
India needs to play their lifetime best in third innings to save the test #INDvsNZ— Anjan (@lone_melancholy) October 17, 2024
INDIA 46 ALL OUT AGAINST NEW ZEALAND shocking
Our lowest total in Tests on home soil 🇮🇳
Hope we can bounce back from this #INDvNZ
— Timorous Enigma (@enigma_timorous) October 17, 2024
Also READ: 5 lowest totals for India in Tests on home soil
News Summary:
- Twitter reactions: Matt Henry, Devon Conway headline New Zealand’s dominance over India on Day 2 of the 1st Test
- Check all news and articles from the latest Cricket updates.