Team India captain Rohit Sharma expressed his disappointment after Virat Kohli and KL Rahul failed to attempt a crucial catch on Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
India was bowled out for 46 runs, its lowest Test score at home. After their poor batting display, India needed to take early wickets to regain momentum in the match.
But, New Zealand's openers, Tom Latham and Devon Conway, started strongly. However, in the 13th over, Mohammed Siraj bowled a delivery that bounced and caught Latham's outside edge, sending the ball flying between Kohli at first slip and KL Rahul at second slip.
Replays suggested it was more of KL Rahul's catch, but he failed to react, allowing the ball to pass and reach the boundary.
Rohit was visibly frustrated, throwing his arms up in disbelief, while Siraj looked equally dismayed. This missed chance added to India's woes in the match.
Rohit Sharma spoke about his choice to bat first after winning the toss, and highlighted the pitch conditions as a key factor in their decision.
"We felt that there was no grass on the pitch. We thought it would do whatever it had to do in the first couple of sessions," Rohit said. He mentioned that he expected the wicket to settle and start turning as the match progressed, emphasizing the critical nature of the first session in Indian conditions. "Whenever we have played in India, the first session is always critical. The wicket tends to settle down, and then the spinners come into play," he added.
Rohit also highlighted the inclusion of spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI, noting, "The reason to add Kuldeep was that he is bold on flat pitches. We expected the pitch to be a little flatter than what it turned out to be." He admitted to a misjudgment regarding the pitch conditions, stating, "Clearly, it was a misjudgment of the pitch. I did not read the pitch well."
Rohit's reflections come after India faced challenges in their first innings, being bowled out for just 46 runs, putting them under pressure early in the match.
In their first innings against New Zealand, Team India was bowled out for 46 runs, their lowest score ever at home in Test cricket. India lost all their wickets in only 31.2 overs on the second day of a rain-affected match. Day 1 was washed out due to rain.
The Indian batsmen struggled, with five of them not scoring any runs. Rishabh Pant was the top scorer for India with 20 runs, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal added 13 runs.
On the other hand, New Zealand batted strongly and finished the day at 180 for three, taking a lead of 134 runs. Devon Conway was the star for New Zealand, scoring 91 runs, and Will Young supported him with 33 runs. The two players shared a key partnership of 75 runs after Tom Latham was dismissed early for 15 runs.
As the day ended, Rachin Ravindra was on 22 runs, and Daryl Mitchell had 14 runs, helping New Zealand maintain a strong position as play was called off early due to bad light.
India 1st innings: 46 all out in 31.2 overs (Rishabh Pant 20; Matt Henry 5/15)
New Zealand 1st innings: 180/3 in 50 overs (Devon Conway 91, Will Young 33; Ravindra Jadeja 1/28, R Ashwin 1/46, Kuldeep Yadav 1/57)
