In a significant setback for Team India, star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant had to leave the field due to a knee injury during the first Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Pant was unable to anticipate a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja, which struck his right knee while he was keeping wickets. Despite receiving immediate medical attention on the ground, Pant was unable to carry on and had to be assisted off the field in visible discomfort. Dhruv Jurel took over the wicketkeeping duties in place of Pant, ahead of KL Rahul, towards the end of Day 2’s play.
Pant, aged 27, had only recently made a comeback to Test cricket after being sidelined with injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022. Following a brilliant century in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, Pant had struggled with two single-digit scores in the Kanpur Test.
On a challenging day for India, following a shocking collapse to just 46 runs in the first innings, New Zealand gained a significant advantage by taking a lead of over 100 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite Devon Conway falling short of a century by just nine runs, the New Zealand batsmen dominated Day 2, leaving the Indian bowlers struggling to turn the momentum in their favor.
Rishabh Pant’s contribution of 20 runs off 49 deliveries was crucial in helping India avoid their lowest-ever Test score of 36, which they had recorded against Australia in 2020. New Zealand’s Matt Henry and William O’Rourke wreaked havoc by taking five and four wickets respectively, dismantling India’s star-studded batting lineup.
The New Zealand Playing XI consisted of Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, and William O’Rourke. For India, the Playing XI included Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
