Rohit Sharma-led Team India were handed a reality check by New Zealand in the opening contest of the three-match Test series played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The match started with Rohit's big miscalculation, something which he also acknowledged, as India endured a crushing eight-wicket defeat against the Kiwis. This was the first time in 36 years, New Zealand managed to humble India in a Test on Indian soil and it led to major ramifications on the World Test Championship 2023-25 standings.
The outcome helped New Zealand climb fourth from the sixth position on the table and the Black Caps now have a win-loss percentage of 44.44 percent. India, on the other hand, continue to sit at the pole position but the defeat did have some repercussions. India's win-loss percentage drops to 68.06 percent, something that they would like to improve in the remaining two matches before heading to Down Under for a five-match blockbuster.
Australia are second and are followed by Sri Lanka and they are the closest challenging Rohit and Co. for the final ticket, which will be played at Lord's from June 11. Pat Cummins' Australia have a win-loss percentage of 62.50, while Sri Lanka have 55.56. The island nation had completed a 2-0 clean sweep against New Zealand in their last series.
However, a resounding victory over India has helped New Zealand back in contention for the final. The Black Caps overtook England and South Africa to re-claim the fourth position. They host England for three Tests, which will be played between November and December and can still finish in top two with a pair of positive results from the remaining matches against India.
India, on the other hand, need to win five of the remaining seven matches to qualify for the finals. So Rohit and his boys will look to bounce back stronger after a rare hiccup in a home Test and try to claim the series 2-1.
If we talk about the opening match between the two, Day 1 was completely washed out due to rain. Day 2, which started in overcast conditions, saw India win the toss and electing to bat. However, the decision backfired as New Zealand folded India for 46 and went to pile 180/3 at the close of play. The tourists continued their charge and piled 402 on the following day, which gave them a solid 356-run lead. India in response finished Day 3 at 231/3. Day 4 saw some sensational batting by Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant as India mustered 462 on the board in second innings, but the first innings performance came to haunt the hosts as New Zealand only had to chase down 107.
The second match of the series will be played in Pune and starts from October 24. The teams will then travel to Mumbai for the final match, which starts from November 1.
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