In the first innings of the first Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Team India scored a pitiful 46, their lowest-ever total at home in Test cricket. The decision by India skipper Rohit Sharma to bat first backfired since it became more and more difficult for hitters to survive in the cloudy conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. After Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, and Rohit could not even get it through the first hour of play in the morning session, the hosts were down to 10/3.
The largest partnership was created by Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who combined for 31 runs for the fourth wicket. Shortly after coming out to bat, Pant tried a reverse sweep, even though India was in a vulnerable position. He did so off a delivery from Matt Henry on the fifth ball of the tenth over. Pant cleared his front leg and sat down to play the reverse lap after the ball was hurled at his leg. But the ball looped up in the air after hitting his glove. Pant was lucky that the ball ended up in no man’s land.
Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar was laughing incredulously when Pant nearly ruined his failed effort at a reverse slap, according to former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who was providing commentary for the game.
Karthik remarked, “Sunil Gavaskar has had a good laugh at this,” as Gavaskar was in the commentary box. But according to former India head coach Ravi Shastri, Pant won’t be afraid to try the bold shot once more. “What was that? He’ll play this shot again without hesitation,” he continued. However, Karthik asserted that there are only two possible outcomes for such shots.
“Bold shots can be viewed in two ways. It is brave if it comes off. “It is foolish if it doesn’t,” Karthik continued. It was the third-worst Test score ever for India. In 1987, they suffered their lowest home score of 75 against the West Indies in New Delhi. In a 2020 pink-ball Adelaide Test match against Australia, their lowest total was 36. At Lord’s in 1974, they lost to England by 42.