India fight hard in 2nd innings after Ravindra ton puts Kiwis in box seat in 1st test

 

In the Bengaluru Test, India's hopes of victory were all but dashed within the first 25 overs due to a severe batting collapse. On Thursday, Rohit Sharma's team was bowled out for a mere 46 runs in their first innings. However, standing amidst the ruins, Indian players are now fighting back. At the end of the day, India is 231/3 in their second innings, still trailing by 125 runs. The Indian camp could have been in a slightly better position if Virat Kohli hadn’t been dismissed on the final ball of the day. With two days left, the match is shifting in tone session by session, but the pressure remains on India.

The visiting team, having gained a substantial 356-run lead in the first innings, was brimming with confidence. However, Rohit and his team have mounted a strong counterattack. India’s second innings began positively, though Yashasvi Jaiswal threw his wicket away in an overly aggressive shot, scoring 35 runs. Rohit, despite playing cautiously, was dismissed in an extraordinary fashion by Ajaz Patel after contributing a solid 52 runs. After being reduced to 95/2, India found stability in the partnership between Kohli and Sarfaraz. Alternating between anchoring and attacking, the two players left New Zealand uncertain about their strategy. Kohli made 70 runs, including 8 fours and 1 six, before being dismissed on the final ball of the day. It was a heartbreaking sight for the Indian fans as Kohli was judged caught behind off par timer  Glenn Phillips . The star batter reviewed promptly only to find a thin edge of the bat in the replays .   Sarfaraz remains unbeaten at 70, having hit 7 fours and 3 sixes. Despite their aggressive play, neither player crossed the line into recklessness. The Indian batters, led by Rohit, have shown that their first-innings failure hasn't dented their morale. Patel took 2 wickets for 70 runs, while Kohli’s dismissal came at the hands of Glenn Phillips.

As the sun broke out, the pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium became much easier for batting, as demonstrated by Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway. Conway had played an aggressive innings of 91 on Thursday, while Ravindra remained unbeaten on 22. The New Zealand all-rounder, of Indian descent, ended up scoring 134, decorated with 13 fours and 4 sixes. On Friday, he received notable support from Tim Southee, who contributed a fighting 65 from No. 9, helping New Zealand to a strong position. While the rest of the lineup faltered, Ravindra anchored one end of the crease until his dismissal by Kuldeep Yadav, with New Zealand finishing at 402 in their first innings.

Among Indian bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja was the most successful, taking 3 wickets for 72 runs. Kuldeep picked up 3 wickets for 99, Mohammad Siraj took 2 for 84, Jasprit Bumrah took 1 for 41, and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 1 wicket for 94.