IND vs NZ : Matt Henry’s Breath-Taking Spell Bundles Out India For 46 & New Zealand In Ascendancy With A Hefty Lead

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Matt Henry had a spectacular outing on Day 2 of the 1st Test between India and New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 17, Thursday. Matt Henry picked up his very first five-wicket haul against India and fifth overall in Test cricket for New Zealand. He picked up Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket in the 32nd over to complete his five-wicket haul.

Simultaneously, Matt Henry also picked up his 100th Test wicket for New Zealand in the format. With that, India were skittled out for their lowest total at home in Test cricket by managing just 46 runs.

Matt Henry reached the 100-wicket milestone in his 26th match, making him the joint-second fastest bowler from New Zealand to achieve the feat. Neil Wagner also completed his 100 wickets in 26 Tests and Richard Hadlee leads the list, having achieved the milestone in 25 Tests. With his 5/15 in the 1st innings, Matt Henry recorded the 4th best figures by a New Zealand pacer in India.

It was a well-deserved five-wicket haul for the pacer, who has been sensational for New Zealand. All through his career, even when he was surplus to requirements with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner commanding their spots in the XI. He never gave up, and now he has a five-for in India against India.

Pitch and Toss

Pitch report: The outfield is simply superb. Great drainage. No reminiscence at all that it rained. It has been under the covers, which means it has a lot of dampness. It is quite cold when you touch it. When you touch it, it is slightly harder and it is dry underneath. New ball could nip around early on and the spinners could get some help as well – opine Simon Doull and Murali Kartik

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and surprisingly under dark overcast conditions with the pitch covered over a day chose to bat with two changes in the playing XI having replaced Shubman Gill and Akash Deep with Sarfaraz Khan and Kuldeep Yadav. New Zealand skipper Tom Latham who interestingly also wanted to bat first played with three seamers and a lone spinner in the playing XI .

Day 2 : Morning Session : O’Rourke, Matt Henry put on rampaging show in Bengaluru

If heavy rain played the destroyer on the opening day, it was the turn of New Zealand’s fast bowlers on the second morning of the first Test against India in Bengaluru. William O’Rourke (3-13) and Matt Henry (2-12) led the way for the visitors after Rohit Sharma surprisingly chose to bat under tricky overhead conditions on a damp surface. It played right into New Zealand’s hands as their seamers were on song from the get-go, utilizing the extravagant seam movement and swing to great effect.

The tone was set by Henry upfront alongside the seasoned Tim Southee with India’s openers being put on a tight leash. The initial 30 minutes saw a lot of play and misses, and some close shouts but Rohit and his partner Yashaswi Jaiswal managed to hang in there.

However, Southee soon broke through for the BlackCaps with a nip-backer that almost came in like a fast off-break to beat Rohit on the inside edge, castling his woodwork. It was a dismissal out of frustration for the Indian captain who tried to give the charge to unsettle the bowler, only to find himself back to the pavilion.

O’Rourke, who impressed on the recent tour of Sri Lanka, then got into the act with a massive strike in his very first over. The tall pacer, generating high speeds, got a nip-backer to rear up disconcertingly on Virat Kohli (0) whose attempt to fend resulted in a low catch to Glenn Phillips at leg gully. Glenn Phillips, agile as ever, plucked a brilliant low to catch to extend New Zealand’s advantage. The catching only got better as Devon Conway plucked a one-handed blinder at mid-off to send a nervy Sarfaraz Khan for a duck. India were now 10/3.

Rishabh Pant walked in at no.5 ahead of KL Rahul, possibly as a counterattack option to New Zealand’s nagging lines and lengths. The wicketkeeper-batter tried his luck, even attempting a reverse sweep and should have been taken by Tom Blundell behind the sticks later, only for the New Zealand gloveman to put the chance down.

Rain briefly interrupted proceedings and that delay, if anything, spiced the surface up a bit more. New Zealand kept plugging away and Ajaz Patel produced another magical bit of fielding at backward point to end Jaiswal’s resistance at the crease with Lunch around the corner.

It was a breakthrough that spurred the tourists on as two more Indian batters fell for ducks. Rahul fell to a well-set leg trap as he tucked a shortish length ball from O’Rourke to be strangled down the leg-side while Ravindra Jadeja’s lazy flick resulted in a big leading edge, that Ajaz pouched at backward point.

Having lost four of their top seven for ducks for the first time in a home Test and reduced to 34/6, India have had a horror session and the initial impression is that it was a good toss to lose for New Zealand, given the bowler-friendly conditions. India’s hopes of salvaging a respectable first innings total depends on how Pant fares with the lower order.

There is a good chance both sides misread the conditions. India won the toss, picked three spinners and batted first, trusting the dry nature of the pitch more than the overcast conditions and the wet lead-up to the Test. New Zealand had hedged their bets: even though they wanted to bat first, they played three seamers, including the king of these conditions, Matt Henry, who ended up with a five-for that took him to 100 Test wickets.

It was apparent as early as the first two overs that the ball was moving more than either of the sides expected. New Zealand started off with just the two slips but reinforced the cordon. India were now reacting instinctively and not via pre-series mental preparation as they showed in challenging conditions in England in 2021.

And the instinct was to counterattack. Jaiswal played the first loose drive to just the 12th ball he faced even while Tim Southee had been challenging him. Rohit Sharma survived an extremely close lbw shout off Henry on umpire’s call but soon tried to charge Southee and loft him back over his head. The wobble-seam ball jagged back in to take the top of leg stump.

With Shubman Gill missing because of a stiff neck, Virat Kohli moved up to No. 3 for the first time since 2016. While it was brave of Kohli to move up, the batter perhaps best suited to seaming conditions is the current No. 6, KL Rahul, who is the only Asian opener with centuries in Australia, England and South Africa.

As it turned out, Kohli didn’t get a chance to make a mistake or show application as the ninth ball he faced jagged back in and kicked at him thanks to Will O’Rourke’s height. Glenn Phillips at leg slip took the catch off the glove diving forward, his presence there suggesting a plan.

Another batting-order surprise followed as Sarfaraz Khan walked in at No. 4, at least one slot higher than the one he takes in domestic cricket. It took him just three balls to attempt an aerial drive on the up, shanking it for a sensational catch by Conway at mid-off, diving to his right and taking it well behind his body. A just reward for Matt Henry, who drew an average seam movement of 1.3 degrees in the first session.

Rain brought a brief halt at 13 for 3 in 12.4 overs without a single boundary. India enjoyed some luck after the break with Tom Blundell dropping a sitter from Rishabh Pant and other loose shots not resulting wickets.

Eventually the fourth wicket came not off a testing delivery, but a middled cut shot by Jaiswal, who fell for 13 off 63, out of which he was in control of just 42. The luck had turned, and a flurry of wickets followed either side of lunch. Rahul nicked O’Rourke down the leg side six minutes before lunch, and Ravindra Jadeja followed with an extravagant flick that produced a leading edge to what proved to be the last ball of the session.

Day 2 : Post Lunch Session : Conway extends NZ dominance after Matt Henry fifer

Things went from bad to worse for India in the post-lunch session on day two of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. The hosts only managed to add 12 more runs to their total after the break, ending on a record low total (in home Tests) of 46 all out. Matt Henry finished with fantastic figures of 5 for 15 while William O’Rourke ended with 4 for 22 to rout India.

In reply, Devon Conway (61*) led New Zealand’s innings and dominated the half-century opening stand with skipper Tom Latham to extend New Zealand’s dominance. India’s only moment of joy in the session came when they reviewed successfully to get Latham off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav.

The session started on the same note as it ended before lunch with India’s procession continuing from where it left off. Henry had Ravichandran Ashwin nicking off for a duck and Rishabh Pant eventually run of luck as the score slipped to 39 for 8. Mohammed Siraj managed to strike a boundary to temporarily cheer up the home crowd but O’Rourke nipped out Jasprit Bumrah before Matt Henry fittingly ended the innings with the dismissal of Kuldeep Yadav.

It was the lowest total by any team in Asia and India’s third-lowest in the format. New Zealand’s bowlers made optimum uses of the conditions on offer and were also assisted by some injudicious strokeplay from India’s batters.

With such a low total to pursue, New Zealand’s mantra was to guard against early wickets and it helped them that India were trying too hard with the new ball. Bumrah and Siraj weren’t able to hit their straps fully, and the absence of a third seamer meant that Rohit Sharma had to bring in his spinners early.

It was spin that finally broke the opening stand for the hosts as Kuldeep’s setup worked Latham over. However, the sheer lack of runs meant that Conway’s intent allowed New Zealand to firm their advantage, although the left-hander hasn’t looked at his fluent best.

As the post-lunch session went by, the sun also come out and conditions brightened, making batting relatively easier. However, there is still help out there for the quicks and this is where India might rue their squad composition. Spin could play a part later in the game but for India to stay in the contest till then, they will need a miraculous performance from their bowlers in this first innings.

Matt Henry produced a snorter immediately after lunch, taking the shoulder of R Ashwin’s bat from a good length. Pant survived the hat-trick ball, but two balls later he nicked Matt Henry to second slip. Again Matt Henry was on a good length and managed to draw seam movement. Bowling on a good length was New Zealand’s hallmark: they stayed in the 6-8m about half the time, and while they had incentive to go to 5m, they rarely ever went to 4m from where they could be driven.

Matt Henry wasn’t done yet, though. He put in a full-speed sprint to his left from fine leg to give O’Rourke his fourth wicket, Jasprit Bumrah not fancying hanging around after one kicked at him and hit him. Henry had substitute Michael Bracewell to thank for completing his five-for as Bracewell dived to his left at gully to get Kuldeep’s wicket.

Day 2 : Afternoon Session : India 46 all out as Matt Henry, William O`Rourke and Devon Conway create New Zealand’s dream day

A dogged half-century from Devon Conway (91) complemented New Zealand’s excellent bowling display led by Matt Henry (5-15) and William O’Rourke (4-22) as the visitors bossed the second day of the first Test against India in Bengaluru. The tempo was set by the pacers as Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat at the toss backfired.

Overhead conditions and a damp surface were the ideal foil for the Black Caps pacers who felt at ease as they exploited the conditions to good effect. The initial 30 minutes were frustrating for the visitors as they beat the bat regularly but weren’t rewarded with a wicket.

Eventually, Tim Southee broke through with a cracking nipbacker to castle Rohit Sharma and it started a procession that never stopped for India. O’Rourke then took over along with Henry to make a mockery of India’s batters. The former, fresh off an impressive series in Sri Lanka, relished the favorable conditions on offer to nip out Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan for ducks. Kohli, who moved up to No.3, fell to a lifter that he gloved to leg slip, Sarfaraz was guilty of a poor shot that was brilliantly taken one-handed by Conway at mid-off.

New Zealand’s catching was arguably as good as their seam bowling, if not better and that is saying something, given what the quicks dished out. KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin all registered ducks with the ball continuing to nip around appreciably. Rishabh Pant led a charmed life and was also dropped once before he eventually ran out of luck.

Matt Henry and O’Rourke ensured that India’s trademark lower order defiance in home conditions never came to the fore as they sliced through the batting line-up. It’s another matter, though, that the conditions were anything but ‘home’ like.

Once the bowlers put New Zealand in pole position, it was over to Conway who dominated the scoring, even if he wasn’t always at his fluent best. The left-hander struggled against Jasprit Bumrah’s new ball spell but found ways to hang in there.

Skipper Tom Latham ironically looked much more compact but wasn’t able to score as fluently as Conway who was severe on the spinners, especially Ravichandran Ashwin. As the sun came out, batting looked relatively easier although the quicks still had some help on offer. What was encouraging for India is that their spinners were also able to get some purchase.

Unfortunately for the home side, their mediocre batting effort, the lowest team score in India by any side, meant that the bowlers had too much pressure to deal with. The pacers tried a lot too quickly with the new ball and even Bumrah appeared off-color at times. As the day progressed, the spinners managed to gain control as each of them picked up a wicket apiece. Kuldeep Yadav broke the 67-run opening stand by trapping Latham (33) LBW after a successful review. Will Young (33) then dug in and his 75-run stand put New Zealand well into the lead.

Just when it seemed like New Zealand were going great guns, Ashwin and Jadeja struck late in the day. The latter induced a top-edge off Young’s slog sweep and Ashwin then picked up the big wicket of Conway off the first ball of his new spell to give India some momentum.

The hosts would have loved to get another wicket or two before stumps but Rachin Ravindra along with Daryl Mitchell prevented further damage with a solid unbroken partnership. The left-hander continued from his impressive Sri Lanka tour where he handled the spinners impressively.

Ravindra and Mitchell were proactive at the crease, and ensured that the scoring rate didn’t dip considerably. It helped that Conway’s counterattacking knock earlier on had already pushed the tourists into the driving seat. The lead is now 134 and New Zealand would want to add another 100 runs at least, as batting could get really difficult in the fourth innings at this venue.

It means that the first two sessions on the third day will be paramount, weather permitting. The forecast for the next days is dicey but there should be enough passages of play to keep the game moving forward.

It was the perfect storm for India. The sun was out as they came out, and while the ball still moved, it wasn’t as threatening as in the morning. India’s innings lasted just 31.2 overs with average seam movement of 0.87 degrees. Their bowlers could extract just about 0.65 degrees in the first 31.2 overs, by which time New Zealand had reached 111 for 1. New Zealand played only 36 false shots in that period; India were bowled out to 75.

Conway, especially, drew home the advantage during this period. India’s selection meant they had to go to spin early, and Conway attacked Ashwin before the ball had a chance to start helping the spinners. He drove anything too full from the quicks, and swept, reverse-swept and charged at the spinners. It didn’t help that India missed three chances in the slips: Rahul lost the ball once, and Rohit missed one half chance and one to his right off Jadeja. Pant, too, missed two stumpings. None of the beneficiaries survived till stumps.

Rohit made up for it with a gully for Jadeja, which drew a big sweep from Will Young, resulting in a catch at short fine leg. Conway had bossed Ashwin with the new ball, but was bowled nine short of a hundred when trying to welcome him back with a reverse-sweep. The ball was now misbehaving enough for the spinners to provide some justification for India selecting three of them.

It also underlined the importance of fourth-innings-proofing the lead for New Zealand. Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell took the first steps towards that by surviving the last 10.5 overs of the day.

Road Ahead on Day 3 for India and New Zealand

It was well worth the wait for New Zealand. On their seventh day of Test cricket in India this year, New Zealand finally got on the field, on day two in Bengaluru, and lost a good toss. Once they were denied their wish to bat first under overcast skies, on a pitch that was covered all week, New Zealand’s seam bowlers were all over India with deadly accurate bowling, bowling them out for 46, their lowest score at home and third-lowest overall.

This was the fourth-lowest first-innings score in Test history after a side had chosen to bat. Riding on Devon Conway’s enterprising 91 in conditions that had quietened down a bit, New Zealand had attained a lead of 134 by stumps. They had seven wickets in hand.

The players are off the field but the umps stay on the field in hope of light improving which is practically not happening given the sun is behind the stands. But what a day for New Zealand.

When Rohit opted to bat even Latham and Co. wouldn’t have expected 46 all-out. Such were conditions – ball swinging, seaming, bouncing. Such was the bowling – attacking lines and lengths, smart catching and field-placing. Such was the batting – Sarfaraz, Jaiswal, KL, Jadeja all gifting their wickets in the top seven and bam, India recorded their lowest ever total at home in Tests.

Sun came out as soon as the visitors brought their willows out and Conway came out with a killer mindset. Attack was his best form of defence and he ensured Ashwin was off the bowling-attack early. New Zealand surged ahead of India’s total in minutes. It was Kuldeep who instilled belief in his mini but lovely spell before Tea where he got Latham.

He troubled Young but Jadeja came on to get him. Conway had to slow down but upon Ashwin’s second arrival he tried to switch gears and was outsmarted by the offie to be dismissed in the 90s. India created half-chances against Ravindra and Mitchell but both managed to survive. Ravindra in particular looked very impressive with the usage of the crease.

Lead is 134 at the moment and advantage New Zealand. They will want to bat only once and for India, there is no other choice but to wrap this up quickly and fight better with bat. Weather was good today. Should be ok tomorrow as well.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Side Arm Specialists In India Need To Work Hard To Prepare Batters For Tough Times”- Abhishek Jain Gives His Invaluable Insights


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