New Zealand’s skipper, Tom Latham, hailed it as a “proud moment” for his team after they claimed their first Test win on Indian soil in 36 years, and only their third ever. Latham watched from the pavilion as New Zealand chased down a modest target of 107 runs, but his innings ended with a duck after being trapped by Jasprit Bumrah.
However, Will Young and Rachin Ravindra displayed composure, guiding New Zealand from a shaky 35-2 to a memorable eight-wicket win on the final day in Bengaluru. The victory handed New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
This historic win marked New Zealand’s first Test triumph in India since 1988, with previous victories coming at Nagpur in 1969 and Mumbai in 1988.
New Zealand’s commanding performance began on the opening day when they bundled India out for just 46 runs—their lowest-ever Test score at home. Reflecting on the achievement, Latham said, “A lot of teams have tried to win here over the years, so it’s special for us. The hard work in both innings, with the bat and ball, set the platform for this victory.” It was a fitting first victory for Latham as full-time captain, having taken over from Tim Southee earlier this month.
For India, captain Rohit Sharma praised his team’s resilience in their second innings, especially after being all out for 46 in the first. Sarfaraz Khan’s 150 and Rishabh Pant’s gritty 99 helped India post a strong 462 in their second innings. But the damage from their first-innings collapse proved too great to overcome. “We didn’t expect to be bowled out for 46, but credit to New Zealand—they set us back. Games like these happen, and we’ll take the positives into the next match,” said Rohit.
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Pant’s dismissal on 99 denied him a century, but his innings, along with Sarfaraz’s ton, brought India back into the game. Jasprit Bumrah gave India a glimmer of hope when he removed Latham early on the final day, followed by trapping Devon Conway lbw after a successful review. But Ravindra’s unbeaten 39, including six boundaries, guided New Zealand to the finish line. Will Young finished with 48*, hitting the winning runs and sealing the eight-wicket win.
Rachin Ravindra, named Player of the Match for his first-innings century and match-winning efforts, was instrumental in New Zealand’s triumph. The second Test will take place in Pune, with India aiming to bounce back.
Scored:
India: 46 (Henry 5-15, O’Rourke 4-22) & 462 (Sarfaraz 150, Pant 99)
New Zealand: 402 (Ravindra 134, Conway 91) & 110-2 (Young 48*)
New Zealand won by 8 wickets
New Zealand’s Historic Test Triumphs in India
3 Test Wins: New Zealand has now achieved three victories in Test matches played in India out of 37 encounters. Their previous triumphs were in Nagpur in 1969 and at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 1988.
2 Instances: Over the last two decades, India has only lost more than one Test at home in two years. The recent eight-wicket defeat against New Zealand in Bengaluru marks their second loss in 2024, having previously fallen to England in Hyderabad in January. India also suffered back-to-back home Test losses to England in 2012.
24 Years: It has been 24 years since a visiting team successfully chased a target of over 100 runs in India, with South Africa last accomplishing this feat in Mumbai in 2000. Since then, India has defended targets exceeding 100 runs in 23 out of 32 home Tests, with nine matches resulting in draws.
4.83 Economy Rate: In the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, India’s spinners recorded an economy rate of 4.83. This marks only the second occasion where their spinners have had a higher economy in a Test where they bowled more than 300 deliveries; the only higher rate was 5.60 against South Africa in Centurion in 2010. The previous highest economy rate for Indian spinners in a home Test was 4.53, recorded against England in Visakhapatnam earlier this year.
4.93 Combined Economy Rate: The overall economy rate for spin bowlers from both teams in Bengaluru was 4.93, which ranks as the second-highest for spinners in a Test where over 600 balls were bowled. This rate only trails behind the Lahore Test between India and Pakistan in 2006, where spinners conceded an average of 5.13 runs per over.
2005 Previous Loss: The last time India lost a Test match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was against Pakistan in 2005. Since then, India has participated in eight Tests at this venue, securing five wins and drawing three. New Zealand had previously played three Tests in Bengaluru and lost all of them.
