New Zealand Ends 36-Year Drought with Test Victory

On the fifth and final day of the first Test in Bengaluru, New Zealand secured a remarkable eight-wicket win over India, marking their first Test triumph on Indian soil in 36 years and only the third in their history. The victory also gave New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

New Zealand’s captain, Tom Latham, described the win as a "proud moment" for the team, though he had to watch most of the action from the pavilion after being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah for a duck early in the chase of 107 runs. However, Will Young and Rachin Ravindra took control after a shaky start at 35-2, steering their team to victory on the final day.

This win was set up in stunning fashion as New Zealand bowled India out for just 46 runs on the first day, India’s lowest-ever Test total on home soil. Latham emphasised that their strong performance with both bat and ball in both innings had laid the foundation for their historic victory. It was a significant achievement for Latham, marking his first win as full-time captain after taking over from Tim Southee earlier in the month.

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, took solace in his team’s fightback during the second innings, as they tried to overturn a massive deficit of over 350 runs. Contributions from Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 150, and Rishabh Pant, who narrowly missed a century with 99, helped India reach 462, giving their bowlers a slim target to defend on a rain-affected final-day pitch.

India found early hope when Bumrah trapped Latham lbw with the second ball of the day, followed by another wicket through a successful review to dismiss Devon Conway. However, that was the last breakthrough India managed. First-innings hero Rachin Ravindra hit six boundaries in his unbeaten 39 and was named player of the match, while Young sealed the victory with his seventh four, ending on 48 not out.

Despite the loss, Rohit remained optimistic, acknowledging that such challenging games are part of cricket and looking forward to the next Test in Pune. He also pointed out that India has a strong record, having won 18 consecutive home Test series since 2012.

The second Test will begin in Pune on Thursday, where India will look to bounce back and even the series.