IND vs NZ, New Zealand in India, 3 Test Series, 2024: India vs New Zealand, 1st Test Squad Updates and Match Summary

Welcome back for the second innings! The sun has gradually started to peek out of the clouds which indicates that it will get a bit better to bat on. The Indian players take their fielding positions. Tom Latham and Devon Conway to open for New Zealand with the Kiwi skipper taking the strike first up. It will be Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the first over for India. Three slips and a gully for him to begin with. Here we go...

... SECOND INNINGS ...

Well then, New Zealand is right on top of the proceedings but will have to battle it out in the same conditions, with the bat now. There's still a considerable movement and variable bounce off the surface and that's where Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj can come handy for India. But, with such an embarrassing total on the board, India has already slipped way below their opponents. Now, the question is, how far can New Zealand take this game away from the home side? Or does India have an answer with the ball? We will get back with New Zealand's innings with the bat pretty shortly. Stay tuned.

New Zealand, on the other hand, didn't step the wrong foot at all. Just a solitary blip when Tom Blundell shelled a sitter of Pant, but that lapse was very effectively recovered by the pace trio of New Zealand. Lethal spells from the three pacers led to India's downfall. Matt Henry delivered a standout performance, claiming an excellent five-wicket haul and reaching the milestone of 100 Test wickets. The young William O'Rourke matched his senior partner's intensity, securing an impressive four-wicket haul with some punishing deliveries. The Kiwi fielding was another highlight, complementing their bowling attack effectively. Barring the single dropped catch, New Zealand's fielders maintained high standards, further pressuring the Indian batters and eventually bowling them out for a paltry 46.

An inning to forget for India, to say the least. For New Zealand, they just didn't let their opposition get off the hook one bit and kept the pressure on. This is India's 3rd lowest total in Test cricket, after 36 against Australia at Adelaide in 2021, and 42 against England at Lord's back in 1974, and the lowest ever at home. Despite the need for patience and adaptability to difficult conditions, more than half of Indian batters fell to aggressive shots or exceptional deliveries. Jaiswal showed some resilience, while Pant played his natural attacking style but all in vain. They were the only two batters to have crossed the double figures while 5 Indians went without opening their account. While only one partnership could contribute over 20 runs.

31.2

W

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, OUT! TAKEN! A catch out of thin air from the substitute fielder Michael Bracewell and India have been bundled out for 46 runs, their third-lowest total in Test cricket. Matt Henry stays around the stumps and bangs it in just a bit, keeping the line tight around off. Kuldeep Yadav hangs back to angle it away but doesn't quite keep it down. Bracewell at backward point just goes down to his left and snares it with his left hand. The resistance from Yadav ends and Henry gets a well-deserved five-for, also making it 100 wickets in Test matches.

31.1

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Bowled from around the stumps, on a good length and angled onto the stumps, Kuldeep Yadav gets across and blocks it off.

30.6

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Maiden! Back of a length and on a tight line around off, Siraj presses back and keeps it out.

30.5

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, And again! Full and just speared down the leg side, Mohammed Siraj plays inside the line of this one.

30.4

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Full and looking to attack the pads but spills it down leg, good carry through to the keeper though.

30.3

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Nicely played! Back of a length around off, Siraj hangs back and plays it late, angling it down towards gully.

30.2

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Bowled well short and outside off, Mohammed Siraj hangs back and just looks to lift it over point but gets beaten.

30.1

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Served on a good length but angled down the leg side, Siraj misses the flick and the ball goes straight into the keeper's mitts.

29.6

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, This is pitched right up on off and middle, Kuldeep Yadav gets nicely on the front foot and defends it off the middle of the bat.

29.5

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, On a good length outside off and angling away, Kuldeep Yadav leaves it alone for the keeper to collect.

29.4

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Pitched outside leg, angling on pads, on the good length, Kuldeep Yadav hops on the back foot and stabs it on the surface.

29.3

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Hurls it down leg on a good length does Henry, Kuldeep Yadav looks to glance it away but misses.

29.2

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, An unplayable bouncer from Henry on the stumps, Kuldeep ducks underneath this one.

29.1

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Back of a length and around off, at 133.3 kph, Kuldeep dabs it to gully where the fielder dives to his left and intercepts it sharply.

28.6

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Bowls from wide of the crease and angles it on the pads on a fuller length, Siraj misses to flick it away and the ball deflects off his front pad to the short fine region.

28.5

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Bumper on the body, Siraj ducks just in time to let it sail over.

28.4

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Full on leg, Siraj pushes it firmly and finds Ravindra at widish mid on.

28.3

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Short and angling down leg, Siraj fails tuck it away and gets a blow on the hips.

28.2

4

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, FOUR! Oh, wow! A good-looking shot by Siraj! William O'Rourke bangs it on the surface and keeps it outside off, Mohammed Siraj climbs on the bounce and cuts it behind square at deep backward point for a boundary.

28.1

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Short and on the body and seaming in down leg, Siraj looks to fend it off but misses.

27.6

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Goes back to over the wicket for the final ball and angles it across the off stump on a hard length, Kuldeep Yadav has a poke at it but misses.

27.5

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Just short of a good length and around off, angling back in, Yadav stays back and plays it late in front of short cover.

27.4

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Comes from around the wicket now and angles one in full at the stumps, Yadav with another block off the front foot.

27.3

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Pitched up right on middle stump, Kuldeep Yadav presents the full face of the bat and solidly blocks it off.

27.2

2

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Fuller in length and on the pads, Yadav clips it away in front of square leg and picks up a couple of runs.

27.1

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Good length, around the top of off and middle, Kuldeep Yadav plays it nice and late towards point.

26.6

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, A wicket-maiden for William O'Rourke! Pitched-up delivery outside off, Siraj leans in a bit and blocks it nicely towards cover.

26.5

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Back of a length and angled into the pads, Siraj looks to tuck it away but gets struck on the thigh pads.

26.4

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Short ball, dug in outside off, Mohammed Siraj has a poke at it, trying to uppercut it but misses.

26.3

0

William O'Rourke to Mohammed Siraj, Pitched up at the stumps, Mohammed Siraj blocks it off.

Mohammed Siraj is the last man in for India.

26.2

W

William O'Rourke to Jasprit Bumrah, OUT! CAUGHT! Matt Henry is not just lighting it up with the ball but in the field as well. William O'Rourke digs in another short ball, aiming it right at the rib cage. Jasprit Bumrah tries to get inside the line and lift it over fine leg but gets in an awkward position and gets a top edge wide of fine leg where Henry covers about 40 meters and slides in to grab it with both hands, amazing piece of athleticism there. O'Rourke has four wickets to his name as well.

26.1

0

William O'Rourke to Jasprit Bumrah, Oh, that is a nasty delivery from William O'Rourke and he gets booed by the crowd as well. Banged in short from wide of the crease and angled right at the batter. Jasprit Bumrah gets all cramped up and takes a blow on the gloves. That could have gone anywhere.

25.6

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Pitches it up again but this time on middle, looking for the inswinger to go through the gate, Kuldeep Yadav just about manages to keep it out on the leg side.

25.5

0

Matt Henry to Kuldeep Yadav, Pitches this one up around off, gets the ball to seam away off the deck, Kuldeep Yadav looks to prod and block but is well beaten.

25.4

1

Matt Henry to Jasprit Bumrah, Hard length over middle and leg, nudged away off the inner half of the bat down to fine leg for a single by Bumrah.

Jasprit Bumrah walks out to bat now.

25.3

W

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Matt Henry is bowling a sensational spell here. Henry just keeps hitting that in-between length and keeps the line tight around off. Rishabh Pant is quite sure which way it is going and looks to just flick it away. Pant gets squared up and gets an outside edge that goes straight into the bread basket of Tom Latham at second slip and the Kiwi skipper makes no mistake. Pant departs for a topsy-turvy 20 off 49 balls. India 8 down now for 39 runs!

25.2

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Nagging length around off, Rishabh Pant looks to drive on the up but there's some extra bounce and the ball goes wide of covers. Pant denies the single and understandably so.

25.1

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, No hat-trick! Henry goes full and straight from over the stumps and attacks the pads. Rishabh Pant looks to flick it away but gets a leading edge which luckily for him, doesn't carry to Henry on the followthrough.

24.6

0

William O'Rourke to Kuldeep Yadav, That really took off! William O'Rourke comes from around the stumps and hits the deck hard outside off, Kuldeep Yadav plays inside the line and Tom Blundell collects the ball over his head.

24.5

1

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Banged in short and well outside off, Rishabh Pant goes across to the off stump and gets it off the toe end of the bat towards backward square leg for a quick single.

24.4

4

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! Down the ground and to the fence! Pitched full and angling on off, Rishabh Pant brings the bottom hand to play, executes the helicopter shot and slaps it down the ground past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary.

24.3

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Fairly outside off on a fuller length, Rishabh Pant lets it pass alone.

24.2

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Swing and a miss! Good length, deviating away from outside off, Rishabh Pant gets a bit impatient and slashes to cut it square but the ball goes above the bat, beating the outside edge.

24.1

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Length-delivery nipping away from the batter from outside off, Rishabh Pant leaves it alone.

It will be William O'Rourke to bowl the next over.

Into the tailenders now. Kuldeep Yadav is in at number 9.

23.6

W

Matt Henry to Ravichandran Ashwin, OUT! CAUGHT! Ravichandran Ashwin comes in to bat after Lunch and straightaway, he has to walk back to the hut. Impeccable length again from Matt Henry as he serves it a tad full and on off and middle. Ashwin is drawn forward but can't get to the pitch of the ball and the ball takes the top part of the bat before popping up towards the gully fielder. Glenn Phillips takes a comfortable catch and Ashwin departs for a golden duck. The fifth Indian batter to depart without troubling the scorers and India in an extremely sensitive situation staring an all-out before three figures.

Welcome back for the post-Lunch session! The conditions remain to be overcast as the two umpires walk out to the middle. The players of New Zealand too spread out to the field. Rishabh Pant, unbeaten on 15 will be joined by Ravichandran Ashwin who is in at number 8 for India. Matt Henry (9.5-2-12-2) to complete his over and begin the second session. Here we go...

... DAY 2, SESSION 2 ...

Well then, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant the only two recognized Indian batters left after Lunch, India will aim to bat through the second session. While New Zealand's goal will be to clean up the rest of the batting of the opposition and further pressurize them. An exciting and crucial post-Lunch session to begin after 40 minutes at 7.10 am GMT. Stay tuned.

However, just when things looked a bit more settled for the Indians after the rain break, Jaiswal lost patience and succumbed to the pressure eventually after weathering the storm for a bit. William O'Rourke looked right on the song and snagged a spectacular 3-fer with Matt Henry eventually removing Ravindra Jadeja at the stroke of Lunch. Batting hasn't been easy on a damp wicket, but credit where it's due, the Kiwi bowlers utilized the conditions exceptionally and have run through the Indian top and the middle order.

Following a brief interruption due to rain, the Indian batters faced the task of regrouping and settling their nerves anew. Such breaks can prove to be frustrating for the bowler to find the rhythm back. Nevertheless, the ball continued to exhibit significant movement. The pacers maintained their disciplined attack, consistently challenging the Indians' resolve. Their only slip-up came when Blundell dropped a routine catch off Pant, who was then on just 7 runs.

On a pitch where perseverance and patience was the key, the Indian batters looked in a bit of a hurry to get off the blocks. It quickly transformed the innings into a test of endurance, with survival becoming the primary objective. Yashasvi Jaiswal demonstrated adaptability, modifying his approach to suit the challenging conditions. Meanwhile, Pant stayed true to his natural game, throwing caution to the wind.

Tom Latham at the toss said that they would have batted first as well. But now, he would be quite assured of bowling first. The Kiwi bowlers have got the conditions they are pretty accustomed to bowl in. Swing, bounce and deviation off the deck. All three pacers - Southee, O'Rourke and Henry interrogated the Indian batters with a peach of deliveries and blew away the top order, all claiming wickets to their names. And as Saba Karim mentioned on-air in the rain delay, this SG ball, under such circumstances becomes more lethal coupled with an equally interrogative bowling.

The demons from the pitch have come out to haunt the Indian team as they have been rocked very badly and have lost more than half of the side. However, it's fair to say that India contributed to their own downfall with their approach to losing wickets. Rohit's attempt to nullify the swing by stepping out backfired, Kohli fell victim to an exceptional delivery, and Sarfaraz's aggressive counter-attack resulted in a rash shot.

LUNCH, DAY 2 - Session Summary - 23.5 overs, 34 runs, 6 wickets. Well, to describe the first session in brief - a bowling masterclass from New Zealand's pacers and equally below-par batting by the Indian batters with respect to shot selections. Four Indian batters got out on a duck and most of them tried to play the rash shots to get off the hook. India could have well been seven wickets down had Tom Blundell not shelled the sitter behind the wickets. Also, 34 is the lowest score for India at the fall of the sixth wicket since 1969.

23.5

W

Matt Henry to Ravindra Jadeja, OUT! CAUGHT! Wow, would you believe it? Right on the stroke of Lunch, Ravindra Jadeja plays a loose shot and India are left reeling at 34/6. Matt Henry just hits the deck hard and bowls it around the pads, Jadeja looks to whip it away over the square leg region but ends up skewing it off the leading edge. The ball lobs up around the short third region where Ajaz Patel settles under it and takes a simple catch. Henry gets his second wicket and Jadeja becomes the fourth Indian batter in this innings to depart for a duck.

23.4

0

Matt Henry to Ravindra Jadeja, On a good length again and on a tight line around off, Ravindra Jadeja makes an assured leave.

23.3

0

Matt Henry to Ravindra Jadeja, Good length, in the channel outside off, left alone by Jadeja.

23.2

0

Matt Henry to Ravindra Jadeja, Ooh, Ravindra Jadeja almost gets nicked off there! Floated up, on a perfect length and in the channel, Jadeja looks to drive at it but the ball whizzes past the outside edge.

23.1

1

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Pitched up full on off, Rishabh Pant looks to heave it away but gets it off the inner half of the blade through backward square leg for a single.

22.6

0

William O'Rourke to Ravindra Jadeja, A ripper of a delivery to end a wicket-maiden over from William O'Rourke. Bangs this one in around off, angling it in, the ball just shoots off the deck and hurries the batter, Jadeja does really well to wear it on the glove and keep it down.

22.5

0

William O'Rourke to Ravindra Jadeja, Around the wicket now to the left-hander and bowled a bit short and well outside off, Ravindra Jadeja leaves it alone.

Ravindra Jadeja is in at number 7 with half of the Indian side back in the sheds. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant is being helped with some fluids.

22.4

W

William O'Rourke to KL Rahul, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! William O'Rourke has his third wicket and India have lost half their side for just 33 runs as KL Rahul departs for a six-ball duck. O'Rourke goes a bit wide on the crease and angles it down the leg side on a fullish length. Rahul just gets his hands behind the body as he looks to flick it away and ends up getting a feather of an edge through to the keeper. Tom Blundell moves to his left and makes no mistakes this time as O'Rourke continues to wreak havoc.

22.3

0

William O'Rourke to KL Rahul, That leg slip fielder is in play again for William O'Rourke. Short of a length and angled into the batter, KL Rahul misses the tuck and the ball goes straight off the thigh pad and into the clutches of Glenn Phillips at leg slip.

22.2

0

William O'Rourke to KL Rahul, Banged in a bit short and outside off, flying through to the keeper as Rahul leaves it alone.

22.1

0

William O'Rourke to KL Rahul, Just a smidge fuller and angling back in sharply towards middle and leg, KL Rahul hangs back and manages to nudge it away to the leg side.

21.6

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Hard length on off and angling away with some sharp bounce as well, Rishabh Pant just plays inside the line of that delivery.

21.5

1

Matt Henry to KL Rahul, Good length, angled into the pads, KL Rahul misses the flick and the ball goes off the back pad and rolls towards fine leg. They get a leg bye.

21.4

1

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Slight hesitation in the middle but the batters do get through with ease in the end. Hard length around off, Rishabh Pant plays it late and just bunts the ball in front of covers, calling for a single immediately but KL Rahul is a bit reluctant before eventually scampering across.

21.3

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Good-length delivery, around the top of off, Pant watches it well and leaves it alone.

21.2

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length and over middle, Pant looks to tuck it away but the ball gets big on him and he has to just block it down the deck.

21.1

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Pitched-up delivery around off, angling away, Rishabh Pant looks to drive at it but is well beaten.

20.6

0

William O'Rourke to KL Rahul, Ouch! A stinging blow first up for KL Rahul. William O'Rourke steams in from over the wicket and serves it on a three-quarter length around off. Rahul looks to block off the front foot but that additional bounce off the deck means he is caught flush on the gloves.

KL Rahul walks in to bat at number 6. The local boy gets a rousing reception from the crowd of Chinnaswamy.

20.5

W

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, OUT! CAUGHT! A ripper of a catch from Ajaz Patel and Yashasvi Jaiswal cannot believe it! William O'Rourke serves this one a tad short but pretty wide and Jaiswal's eyes light up as he looks to rock back and cut. Jaiswal does so but fails to keep it completely down. The ball goes flat and hard, down to the left of Ajaz Patel at point and he dives across to his left to snare it with both hands, just above the grass. The dots were building up and unfortunately for India, Jaiswal has succumbed to the pressure as he departs for 13 off 63 balls and William O'Rourke has his second wicket.

20.4

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Slightly pitched up around off, nibbling away from the left-hander, Jaiswal leaves it alone.

20.3

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, that flew across to the keeper! Banged in short over off and middle at 136 clicks, Jaiswal bends his back to let it through and the extra bounce means that Tom Blundell has to leap above and collect the ball.

20.3

1

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIDE! Back of a length, dug in well outside off and angling further away, left alone for a wide.

20.2

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That's ambitious from Yashasvi Jaiswal! Dug in again on a shortish length on off and gets this one to bounce and angle away, Jaiswal looks to back away and smash it over mid-wicket but is well beaten.

20.1

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Switches back to over the wicket and bangs it in a bit around off. This one angles away and Jaiswal leaves it alone.

19.6

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Slightly pitched up around off, Pant gets on the front foot and makes the block.

19.5

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Nagging length on off, this one shapes back in, Rishabh Pant isn't sure of the length or the movement and just dabs at it pretty late, managing to keep the ball out.

19.4

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, On a good length and angled well across the off stump, left alone by Pant.

19.3

1

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nagging length around off, Jaiswal looks to come down the pitch again but this one swings back in and goes off the inner half of the blade down to deep backward square leg. A single is taken.

19.2

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length around the top of off, Jaiswal takes half a step forward and just brings his hands back behind the body and leaves it alone.

19.1

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length over middle, Jaiswal takes a couple of steps towards the ball and then, he just dabs it down with soft hands towards gully.

18.6

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Good-length delivery, just a bit too wide of the off stump line, Pant doesn't play at it.

18.5

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length and outside off, nibbling away a bit, Pant leaves it alone.

18.4

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, A bit of a classic nothing waft from Rishabh Pant, no harm done. Dug in short and outside off, Pant does not move his feet and just swings his bat across, slicing the air.

18.3

2

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Full and around the fifth stump line, not a half-volley, Pant hits it on the up and through the point region for a couple of runs.

18.2

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, A steepler from William O'Rourke, banged in on off and angling it in, Rishabh Pant just leans back a bit and swats away from the line of the ball, well played.

18.1

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Changes the angle of attack by coming around the wicket and dishes out a wayward, wide delivery, well outside off, left alone by Pant.

17.6

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lovely delivery to end the over and that will be another maiden for New Zealand. Just pitches it a bit further up on off and draws the batter onto the front foot. Jaiswal leans on to block but the ball shapes away a touch and beats the outside edge of the bat.

17.5

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length on off, this one hits the deck and darts away from the left-hander, Jaiswal presses back and shoulders arms yet again.

17.4

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length this time, wide outside off as well, Jaiswal opts to leave this one alone as well.

17.3

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched up again, on a tight line around off and going straight on, Jaiswal shoulders arms.

17.2

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Henry goes full and straight now at the stumps, Jaiswal gets on the front foot and mistimes the drive back to the bowler.

17.1

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nice and full to begin with. This is pitched up around off, and seams away off the deck, Jaiswal gets on the front foot and makes a leave.

Halt! Rishabh Pant has called for the exchange of gloves. Or is it some kind of direction from the dressing room for Pant to hang in there? Akash Deep is out to the middle with a new pair of gloves for Pant. Dhruv Jurel too, rushes out with another fresh pair of gloves and a spray to reduce the sweat on Rishabh's palms. Pant chooses one and is good to go. Also, a change in bowling - Matt Henry replaces Tim Southee.

16.6

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Short of a good length and well outside the line of off stump, easy leave this time fro Rishabh Pant. Maiden over from William O'Rourke.

16.5

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Beaten! Pitched up around off, angling it away, Rishabh Pant gets on the front foot and looks to smoke the drive over covers but is beaten past the outside edge.

16.4

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, A good, surprise bumper now from William O'Rourke, over middle and leg, Rishabh Pant does well to duck under it.

16.3

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Bangs this one into the deck, on a hard length around middle and rising up high, Pant gets his body right behind the line of the ball and blocks it off with soft hands.

16.2

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Keeps the length very full and just brings the line a few inches inside the tramline outside off stump, clocking in at 141.8 clicks. Rishabh Pant goes chasing after it but the ball sneaks under the ball quickly.

16.1

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Too and too wide from O'Rourke, going on with the angle, Pant leaves it alone.

15.6

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Just getting a bit edgy here Jaiswal and Southee is hitting just the right spots. Jaiswal pre-meditates a bit and walks down the pitch, Southee floats it up outside off, swinging it away. The big cover drive comes out and Jaiswal is beaten past the outside edge.

15.5

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, The big inswinger now from Southee, bowled on a good length and jagging back into the middle stump, Jaiswal solidly blocks it off.

15.4

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nagging length, on a tight line around off and just swinging back in a bit, Jaiswal makes a well-watched leave.

15.3

4

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Streaky but Jaiswal will take it. Pitched up quite full and around off, just wobbling away at the last moment, Jaiswal looks to drive on the up but gets an outside edge wide of the gully fielder and the ball trickles away to the fence.

15.2

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length in and around the line of off stump, Jaiswal stays compact and gets his hands behind before leaving it alone. Already a lot of footmarks being created here by the Kiwi pacers.

15.1

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, a rare loose shot from Jaiswal! Floated up, full and outside off, wobble-seam again, Jaiswal goes for the booming drive but gets nowhere near the ball.

14.6

2

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Full and on off, Rishabh Pant looks for the helicopter shot but ends up skewing it off the outer half of the blade over mid off for another brace. Living dangerously here Rishabh Pant.

14.5

2

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Dug in short now and outside off, Rishabh Pant seems to shape up for the uppercut but just bails out of the shot and ends up dabbing it over the backward point region for a couple of runs.

14.5

1

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, WIDE! That is wayward from O'Rourke as he serves it full and wide, almost beyond the cut strip outside the line of off stump. Tom Blundell does well to dive across and get a glove to it.

14.5

1

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, No ball! Fuller in length and outside the line of off stump, Pant leaves this one alone. William O'Rourke has overstepped and will have to reload that one.

14.4

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Good carry! Dug in just a tad short over off and angling away, Rishabh Pant hops back and looks to defend but the ball goes past the outside edge.

14.3

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, EDGED AND DROPPED! That is a huge, huge letoff for Rishabh Pant and Tom Blundell is looking for a place to hide. William O'Rourke pitches this one up outside off and invites the drive. Rishabh Pant throws his hands at it and gets a huge outside edge straight through to the keeper but luckily for him, Blundell has a lapse in concentration and spills a dolly of a catch.

14.2

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Ooh, Rishabh Pant just throwing caution to the wind there! Hard length again and on a tighter line around off, Pant is late to have a poke at it and the ball zips past the outside edge.

14.1

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Served on a harder length around off at 140 clicks, angling away as well, Pant lets it through to the keeper.

13.6

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full on off and middle, swinging back in a bit, Jaiswal jams the straight drive into the deck and Southee is able to get a hand on it on the follow-through. Maiden!

13.5

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Very full, right in the blockhole around off and this one jags back in pretty late, Jaiswal watches it well and leaves it alone.

13.4

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nice and full again, a fair bit outside off and Jaiswal makes a comfortable leave. That one didn't quite carry to the keeper.

13.3

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Southee goes even fuller and pitches it right up on off stump, Jaiswal takes the front leg out to drive but ends up forcing it out towards mid on.

13.2

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched-up delivery, on the fourth stump line, Jaiswal gets on the front foot and solidly blocks it off.

13.1

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Right on the money from Southee! Comes from over the stumps and floats the ball up in that channel around off, the ball wobbles a bit and Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to block but is beaten past the outside edge.

12.6

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Hits the deck hard now, bowling it around off, good seam and bounce away from the left-hander, Rishabh Pant shoulders arms.

12.5

4

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, FOUR! The first boundary of the match and it comes after 76 balls! William O'Rourke dishes out a half-volley, wide outside the off stump, Rishabh Pant just leans across and crunches it square through cover-point to get things going in syle.

Well, all in readiness for the resumption of play! The players of New Zealand are near the ropes and so are the two Indian batters, waiting to get a go-ahead to go out to the middle. Anil Kumble on-air, however, mentions that there is still some rain around later in the day. But let us hope for the best. The players are out to the middle now. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant to resume their innings. William O'Rourke to continue with the ball. 95 overs to be bowled today now, instead of 98 overs due to this little pause.

UPDATE - 5.28 am GMT - More good news coming from the ground now! Play is set to resume at 5.35 am GMT which is just a few minutes away and Lunch has been postponed to 6.30 am GMT, provided there isn't any further rain. So, strap in and gets ready for some action.

UPDATE - 5.21 am GMT - A bit of a cheer from the crowd as the drizzle disappears and the groundstaff come out to peel off the covers. The umpires are also out in the middle inspecting the outfield and it looks like we might get some more play in before Lunch. Stay tuned for the latest updates.

UPDATE - 5.13 am GMT - Things have brightened up a bit in Bengaluru but the drizzle is still there and the players can be seen relaxing in the dressing rooms. The drainage system at the M. Chinnaswamy is impeccable and it shouldn't be much of a delay once the drizzle stops or if it rather stops. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest news on the resumption of play.

UPDATE - 4.58 am GMT - Uh, oh! There is a drizzle in the air and off go the players. Not what anyone wanted to see, especially with the engrossing start we have had. For now, the covers are on but the rain doesn't seem heavy, so, let's hope it is a short delay. Stick around for more updates.

12.4

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Length, across off, Pant leaves.

12.3

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Short in length, over the top of middle, Rishabh Pant rises with the bounce and taps it to the left of the bowler.

12.2

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Back of a length, across off, Rishabh Pant is a bit late to make the leave and take the bat away from the line of the ball. It takes the under edge of the bat before dribbling back to the keeper.

12.1

0

William O'Rourke to Rishabh Pant, Short and on the bodyline, Rishabh Pant does not take any risk this time and ducks underneath.

Drinks break! Wow, what a first hour or so for New Zealand, their pacers have been relentless with their lines and lengths and have done heavy damage up top. India have already lost their two stalwarts in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and are somewhat struggling to get going but the key here is patience and perseverance which Yashasvi Jaiswal seems to have at the moment. The Kiwis will look to press the advantage and get a couple of more wickets before Lunch. Let's find out whether India can stay resolute or not.

11.6

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and slanting across outside off, left alone by Jaiswal.

11.5

1

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, What was that from Pant? And he gets away with it as well! Pretty risky and audacious to play that against a pacer who has troubled the batters. Henry bowls a good-length delivery, on the stumps, Rishabh Pant goes for a wild reverse scoop but the ball lobs off his glove to the short fine region and falls safe. They cross. Matt Henry too gets surprised and smiles back to Pant.

11.4

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Attacks the stumps, on a good length, Rishabh Pant gets on the front foot, lets the ball arrive at him and guides it with soft hands to the point region.

11.3

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, A tempter! Nips away from the batter from outside off on a fuller length, Rishabh Pant pushes at it but misses and gets beaten on the outside edge.

11.2

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Length, just around off, Rishabh Pant dead-bats at it.

11.1

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Keeps it full, outside off, leaving the batter, Rishabh Pant strides ahead and leaves.

10.6

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Snorter of a ball! Bangs it into the surface does William O'Rourke at 138.5 kph, on the top of middle. It deviates away from the left-hander and cuts the batter into half. Yashasvi Jaiswal hops on the back foot and hangs his bat away from the body and gets beaten.

10.5

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nips away from the batter on a good length, across off, Yashasvi Jaiswal covers the stumps and hangs his bat in the air to let it pass alone.

10.4

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good pace and movement! Full and angling away from the southpaw from outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a bit reluctant to get on the front foot and makes a leave.

More attacking intent from the Kiwis now as a forward short leg has been kept in place for William O'Rourke.

10.3

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length, with an extra bit of bounce, Jaiswal bunts it down to the pitch.

10.2

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Attacks the pads on the good length, Yashasvi Jaiswal camps back and just about manages to stab it down to the pitch.

10.1

0

William O'Rourke to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of a length on the stumps, zipping and angling across outside off. Jaiswal leaves it alone to the keeper.

9.6

2

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Length ball, angling on the pads, this is flicked away through square leg for a couple of runs.

9.5

0

Matt Henry to Rishabh Pant, Length ball around middle and off stump, moving across the left-hander. Pant looks to defend but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Rishabh Pant walks in at number 5.

9.4

W

Matt Henry to Sarfaraz Khan, OUT! TAKEN! A nothing shot from Sarfaraz but a screamer of a catch from Devon Conway! All three seamers with a wicket each now and India are in a deep, deep trouble with just 10 runs on the board. Full and shaping away from outside off. Sarfaraz walks down the pitch and goes for the drive down the ground but doesn't fully commit to the shot and tentatively push at it. As a result, the bat turns in his hands and goes in the air to the right of Conway at short mid off. He stretches his right hand to the direction of the ball and plucks it out of thin air. He tumbles with the momentum and his elbow bangs on the surface as well but he manages to maintain the ball in his hand.

9.3

0

Matt Henry to Sarfaraz Khan, Pitched up, full and on the leg stump, Sarfaraz Khan flicks it straight to square leg.

9.2

0

Matt Henry to Sarfaraz Khan, Full and outside off. Sarfaraz steps forward and has a poke at that away from the body but gets beaten on the outside edge.

9.1

1

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched-up delivery on the stumps, Yashasvi Jaiswal drives it off the inner half of the bat towards mid on for a quick single.

Sarfaraz Khan walks in with India in a spot of early bother.

8.6

W

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, OUT! TAKEN! GONE! A huge, huge blow for India. The backward short leg was tactically kept in place for O'Rourke. This is on a good length, jagging back into the batter with an extra bit of bounce off the surface. Kohli rises with the bounce on the back foot and is hurried into the shot to play across. Also, the bottom hand comes off the bat and fends it off the gloves to the backward short leg fielder. Glenn Phillips dives forward and just about manages to keep his fingers underneath the ball. The replays confirm the same and Kohli walks back for a duck. William O'Rourke with a wicket-maiden to start his spell!

Is that a fair catch? The ball seems to have definitely caught the bat and the Kiwis are claiming the catch as well. The two umpires have a word with each other and decide to go upstairs. The third umpire checks the catch from a few different angles and concludes that Glenn Phillips has his fingers under the ball, Kohli has to depart. OUT!

8.5

0

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, Bangs it into the surface does William O'Rourke, around off, Virat Kohli gets it off the inside half of the bat and fends it to the backward short leg fielder.

8.4

0

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, Hits the deck hard at 139.7 kph, gets a spongy bounce outside off and Kohli is happy to let it go alone.

8.3

0

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, Length ball, outside off and nipping back in a shade. Kohli leaves it alone to the keeper.

8.2

0

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, Bowls a fuller one, angling on the middle and leg, Virat Kohli gets forward and works it straight to mid on with a straight bat.

8.1

0

William O'Rourke to Virat Kohli, Starts off delivering a fuller-length delivery around off, Virat Kohli presses ahead and defends it right underneath the eyes.

William O'Rourke comes into the attack now.

7.6

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of a length angling across outside off. Jaiswal watches the ball closely and drops his wrists. Leaves.

7.5

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full toss and tailing down the leg. Jaiswal gets forward and looks to flick but misses it and gets hit on his boot.

7.4

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, An appeal for caught behind but the umpire isn't interested. It hit the thigh pad rather than the bat. Back of a length, cramping the batter for room as it curls back in a long way over the top of the middle. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to push across but the ball beats the inside edge and pings his back thigh pad and lobs back to the keeper.

7.3

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Starts from the leg stump and curves back in on the pads, Jaiswal looks to flick but the ball pings his front pad.

7.2

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, In the channel of off, deviating pretty sharply away from the southpaw. Yashasvi Jaiswal gets beaten on the outside edge.

7.1

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched up, on off and tailing back on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal walks down the pitch and pushes it hard, gets a thick outside edge that dribbles to the gully fielder.

6.6

0

Tim Southee to Virat Kohli, Length ball outside off, shaping away at 133.3 kph. Virat Kohli lets it be.

6.5

0

Tim Southee to Virat Kohli, Swings away from the batter, on a fuller length, Virat Kohli watches it closely and leaves.

6.4

0

Tim Southee to Virat Kohli, Fuller length outside off. Virat Kohli gets forward and leaves it alone to the keeper.

Who walks out next to bat? A huge roar from the crowd and it is pretty obvious that Virat Kohli is in at number 3.

6.3

W

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! THROUGH HIS DEFENCE! Tim Southee draws first blood and it is the Indian skipper who departs pretty early. Southee stays over the stumps and bowls it on a fractionally fuller length with a wobbled seam position, keeping the line of attack on the stumps. Rohit Sharma charges down to the pitch of the ball to negate the swing and loft it over the bowler's head. However, the ball pitches and tails back in a long way and sneaks through the gap between the bat and the pad to clatter into the stumps. Rohit Sharma departs on 2 (16). India re 9/1.

6.2

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Southee runs in and delivers on a fuller length, angling on the middle and leg, Rohit Sharma looks to flick it across but it jags back in a long way and raps the front pad of Rohit.

6.1

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, On a good length, with a gentle outswing on middle, Rohit Sharma opens his body and taps it with soft hands to the point region.

5.6

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, At off, on a fullish length, Yashasvi Jaiswal prods ahead and defends it out tentatively.

5.5

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, At 129.5 kph, on a good length angling on the pads, Yashasvi Jaiswal misses to glance it away and gets rapped on the thigh pad.

5.4

2

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and tailing back into the pads, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets forward and flicks it nicely along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

5.3

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length ball around leg stump. Jaiswal blocks it to cover.

5.2

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, BEATEN! Probably the best delivery so far! Charges in from over the wickets, pitches full and on the off stump line, deviates away from the left-hander off the deck. Yashasvi Jaiswal brings his bat vertically down, but plays inside the line and the ball flirts past his outside edge.

5.1

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A tempter! A fantastic exhibition of seam bowling! Right into the corridor of uncertainty, on off with a gentle outswing, Yashasvi Jaiswal walks down a couple of steps to negate the swing but just gets beaten past the outside edge.

4.6

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Another whopping outswinger from Southee, full and on off, Rohit Sharma tilts ahead, and jams his bat in the way to block it out.

4.5

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Keeps the line of attack around off, moving away from the right-hander. Rohit Sharma prods ahead and shoulders arms.

4.4

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Lovely channel! Southee goes more full in length, gets the ball to nip away from the batter from the fourth stump line, Rohit Sharma is drawn forward to block it out but plays inside the line of the ball and gets beaten on the outside edge.

4.3

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Length ball around middle and leg. Rohit steps out to negate the swing but misses the push and gets an inside edge onto his pads.

4.2

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, A whisker! Attacks on the good length, with a sharp outswing from outside off, Rohit Sharma just pokes at it hanging out his bat away from the body and gets beaten on the outside edge.

4.1

0

Tim Southee to Rohit Sharma, Fuller length outside off. Rohit covers the line of his off stump and leaves it alone to the keeper.

3.6

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length and around off stump. Jaiswal stays rooted to his crease and blocks it to backward point.

3.5

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another appeal for LBW and again, the umpire says 'No'. This time they do not go upstairs. Pitched on a good length, skidding through the surface on the middle stump line, with a gentle inswing. Yashasvi Jaiswal camps back and looks to defend but is beaten on the inside edge and wears on the thigh pad. Didn't look like going down leg by any means, but the height is again the culprit for Henry as the Ball Tracking comes up a couple of deliveries later.

3.4

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length-delivery around leg stump. Jaiswal goes on the back foot and blocks it to point.

3.3

1

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, Length ball around off stump, it shapes away a shade. Rohit taps it in front of cover and goes through for a quick single. Henry moves across, picks the ball up and throws in a motion, but has a shy at the keeper's end.

3.2

0

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, Short of a length around the middle stump. Rohit looks to tuck it to mid-wicket but misses and wears it on his body.

3.1

0

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, A huge appeal for LBW but the umpire is unmoved! Matt Henry is very confident and with just a couple of seconds remaining on the timer, Tom Latham eventually signals the 'T' and challenges the on-field decision. This is pitched up on a fuller length, in the line of the off stump, Rohit Sharma with barely any footwork tries to push across and plays down the wrong line and gets rapped on the pads. UltraEdge shows a day-night gap between the bat and the ball. Onto Ball Tracking now, which comes up with the ball clipping the off stump on the umpire's call. A disgruntled look on Henry's face. New Zealand do not lose a review though.

2.6

2

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Slanting across off on a fullish length, Yashasvi Jaiswal leans on the ball and drives it to pierce the point gap. Glenn Phillips there does pretty good, dives to his right and gets his fingertips on the ball. It slows down and rolls to the deep but the fielder chases it down. Keeps it to two.

2.5

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length around the fourth stump line. Jaiswal shoulders arms to that one.

2.4

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, There's the variation ball! A lovely delivery! This one deviates away from the left-hander, on a good length, Yashasvi Jaiswal strides across pushes hard at it, and goes for a cover drive, but misses.

2.3

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched up, very fuller and outside off with a gentle inswing. Yashasvi Jaiswal is not interested to poke at it. Leaves alone for the keeper to collect.

2.2

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tight leave there! Swinging in, from outside off on a fuller length, Yashasvi Jaiswal weighs ahead and leaves it alone. A nice tempter from Southee.

2.1

2

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and on off, with a bit of an inward movement, Yashasvi Jaiswal closes the bat face a bit early and gets it off the splice of the bat that runs down the ground for a couple of runs.

1.6

0

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, A mild appeal for LBW, but just for a moment. The one jags back in from off, on a good length, Rohit Sharma is a bit late to bring his bat down on the front foot and plays over the line. The ball beats the inside edge and hits it high on the thigh pad.

1.5

0

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, Hits the deck hard, at 135 kph, on off, Rohit Sharma watches it closely, prods ahead and blocks it out.

1.4

0

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, This one tails miles down the leg side, on a fullish length, Rohit Sharma misses to glance it away and Tom Blundell makes a good stop behind the wickets by diving to the direction of the ball.

1.3

1

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jaiswal too, gets off the mark. Onto the pads, deviating into the batter, on a hard length, Yashasvi Jaiswal drops it to the leg side with soft hands. Rohit calls for a single and they cross.

1.2

0

Matt Henry to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Zips through the surface on a good length, outside off, Jaiswal makes a tight leave on the back foot.

1.1

1

Matt Henry to Rohit Sharma, First runs of the series and also for India and Rohit. Henry starts with a good-length ball, outside off, nipping away, Rohit Sharma gets on his toes and guides it with soft hands to the right of the diving gully fielder for a single.

Who bowls the second over? It will be Matt Henry to share the attack.

0.6

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Three slips in place for Jaiswal now. Back of a length, on the top of the middle and leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets behind the line of the ball and taps it off the back foot onto the pitch. A good probing first over from Southee to begin with.

0.5

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, In the channel around off, on a good length, Yashasvi Jaiswal shoulders arms at it.

0.4

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Oh, what was Jaiswal doing there? Full and attacking the off-pole, Yashasvi Jaiswal presses forward and taps it in front of cover and wants a single straightaway. He charges to get to the other end but Rohit Sharma sends him back on a very sharp call. Jaiswal obeys, turns around and retreats back in time. Was never a single there.

0.3

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Now this one nips very sharply across the left-hander. Pitches it up, full and around off, deviating away. Yashasvi Jaiswal is happy to let it be.

0.2

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Full and swinging in from outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal sees the ball closely, strides across and leaves.

0.1

0

Tim Southee to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gets a good inswing right up! Full and curving into the batter around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal leans on and makes a watchful leave.

Done with the pre-match formalities, and it is now time for the action to begin at Chinnaswamy! Conditions are pretty gloomy and the floodlights are glittering right from the outset. There's not a huge crowd at the moment, but it will surely build up as the day progresses and with the conditions permitting. The umpires and the players of New Zealand are already out in the middle and take their respective fielding positions. Out walk the two Indian openers - skipper Rohit Sharma along with Yashasvi Jaiswal. And it will be Tim Southee to begin the proceedings with the new ball. Hang on, just a bit of a delay here as the on-field umpire wants to wait for the lights to take full effect. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Tim Southee have a friendly chatter at the non-striker's end. And all set to begin now. Southee charges in with a couple of slips in place. Here we go...

Well then, the two set of players walk out with the match officials for their respective national anthems. It will be New Zealand's first, followed by the Indian national anthem.

It has gotten a bit darker now, but nothing as concerning for any further delay. Yashasvi Jaiswal is seen walking out to the field, all geared up and is having a short knockout session. Since we are just a few minutes away from the commencement of the match, let us again take you all through the revised playing conditions. The first session is set to run from 3.45 am to 6.00 am GMT. The post-Lunch session will begin at 6.40 am GMT to 8.55 am GMT. And the final session - 9.15 am GMT to 11.30 am GMT. A total of 98 overs will be bowled today to cover up the overs lost on the first day.

PITCH REPORT - Simon Doull and Murali Kartik are at the 22 yards, inspecting the deck. Doull says the outfield is simply superb and this is New Zealand's first Test in Bengaluru in 12 years. Kartik says that there is a lot of dampness on the surface. Says when you touch, it is dry underneath. Reckons that it might nip around early on for the seamers. Also feels that there might be some assistance for the spinners as well.

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Tom Latham (C), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (WK), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke.

India (Playing XI) - Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Tom Latham, the captain of New Zealand says they would have batted first as well. Says the wicket has been under the covers and is hopeful that they can make good use of it early with the ball. On being asked about the series against Sri Lanka, he states that they did a lot of things right in that tour but came out on the wrong side. About the preparations, he mentions it hasn't been good considering the weather around. Informs they are going with three seamers with Ajaz Patel and two all-rounders who can bowl spin.

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India says that they will bat first. Adds that the pitch has been under covers and will be sticky to start with but will get dry. Mentions that you still have four days to play and you can get a result but need to assess as things go on. Reckons that they have played some excellent cricket in the last few matches and want to start well again. Informs that they have made two changes from the last Test against Bangladesh with Sarfaraz Khan replacing Shubman Gill who isn't well and Kuldeep Yadav comes in for Akash Deep.

TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin lands in the favour of India and Rohit Sharma elects to BAT first.

More pleasing scenes! The sun is battling to peek out from the clouds. This is the sunniest condition seen in Bengaluru in the last few days. Also, the toss is just around the corner. Stay tuned. And here are the skippers. Rohit Sharma and Tom Latham walk out to the middle, donned in the blazers and the team sheets in their hands, for the all-important toss.

Good news! As per the latest updates, there's no rain as we speak in Bengaluru and the covers too, are off. The players from both camps are on the field and are carrying out their pre-match drills. Also, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and coach Gautam Gambhir had a look at the strip earlier this morning. Virat Kohli was also seen knocking the ball near the ropes. From the New Zealand camp, skipper Tom Latham was in his practice gear with other Kiwi players flocking out too. William O'Rourke and Matt Henry marked their run-ups along with Tim Southee. So, it's no surprise that New Zealand will be going in with three seamers. From the Indian side, Bumrah and Siraj have done the same.

The Chinnaswamy Stadium has a secret weapon against the rain - its incredible water management technology. This high-tech setup can gulp down a whopping 10,000 liters of water every minute. It's a real game-changer for getting play underway quickly. Once the skies clear and the groundsmen spring into action, we could see a match-ready field in under an hour. This cutting-edge system is our beacon of hope for some cricket action today. But for all this, we need Mother Nature to be lenient.

Day 2 also doesn’t give much promise either. Indian spin legend, Anil Kumble, who is also the local boy and is well aware about how the weather in Bengaluru pans out, mentioned on-air, that probability of a ‘full day’s play’ is still not on. We might get to see some action though, but the rain will surely play spoilsport and it will be a start-stop kind of day today as well. But, as we speak, the weather has improved as compared to Day 1. However, there was an early morning drizzle and there's 100 per cent cloud cover above Bengaluru.

The weather put a real damper on things yesterday, to say the least. The stadium was like a ghost town - barely any players from either team made an appearance. We did catch a glimpse of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli heading to the indoor practice area, but that was about it. Saba Karim mentioned on the broadcast that around 19,000 tickets had been sold, and sure enough, quite a few fans showed up early on, hoping to catch some play. But as the day wore on with no sign of the rain relenting, they gradually started to disperse. Can't blame them, really - watching rainfall isn't exactly the thrilling cricket they came for.

Plentitude won’t be an understatement to describe the amount of rain Bengaluru has received in the last few days. Yesterday was no exception - we saw heavy showers pounding the ‘Garden City’ early on, followed by on-and-off steady drizzles throughout the day. The skies stayed gloomy and humid. At one point, there was a brief ray of hope when the rain let up and ground staff started removing the covers. But, the drizzle picked right back up again, dashing all our hopes and crushing our spirits.

Hello and greetings, cricket enthusiasts, to our coverage of what's technically day two of the first Test between India and New Zealand! We'd love to be diving into match analysis and discussing who's got the upper hand, but Mother Nature had other ideas yesterday. The first day was a complete washout, so we're still eagerly waiting for that all-important coin toss. Here's hoping the weather cooperates and we can finally get this exciting contest underway.

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

Well, not a pleasing day by any means for the cricket fans and the cricketers themselves. We hoped for at least some action on this first day, but that has been totally dashed by the inclement weather in Bengaluru. This means, we have lost 3 sessions now, but worry not, folks! 12 sessions of play still remain to be utilized. Now, we keep our fingers crossed for the next day and can only pray that the rain stays away. However, the forecasts do predict otherwise. But, all we can do is stay optimistic. To make up for the lost overs on this first day, the play on Day 2 will begin 15 minutes earlier. Meaning, that the first ball, if the weather permits, will be bowled at 3.45 am GMT, on October 17th, Thursday. Till then, take care, ADIOS!

UPDATE - 9.05 am GMT - It's official! Play on Day 1 has been CALLED OFF! A steady drizzle since early morning kept the players off the field, and as the day progressed, the rain played a frustrating game of hide and seek. Just when it seemed the rain had finally stopped for a longer stretch, it returned, dashing all hopes of any play on the opening day. Additionally, the process of the HawkEye system formatting would take at least an hour and a half after all covers were removed. Even if play had started, there were concerns about how much cricket we could have seen, given the potential for bad light to curtail play early due to the gloomy overhead conditions.

UPDATE - 8.37 am GMT - Now then, the rain has subsided, again! The ground staff are quick to get on the field, and the match officials are also out to inspect the conditions. They’re starting with the main cover, and if the weather holds, we could be edging closer to some play. However, play might not start as soon as we hope. Saba Karim, on air, informs us that the HawkEye system formatting, which needs to be completed before any game starts, hasn’t been done yet due to the pitch being under covers all day yesterday and so far today. This process will take at least an hour and a half after all covers are removed. Saba also estimates that the officials will likely wait for another 30 to 45 minutes before making any decision. Anil Kumble joins in, noting that umpire Paul Reiffel’s facial expressions during the inspection suggest there might still be concerns, particularly with the damp areas surrounding the pitch. TEA has been taken, meaning two sessions have already been washed out.

UPDATE - 8.28 am GMT - Oopsie! In our previous update, we did wonder if it was too early to be optimistic, and now we have the answer. The drizzle has returned, and the ground staff, who had just started to peel off the covers, are now putting them back on. The rain continues to play hide and seek. Meanwhile, over in Multan, Pakistan have been bowled out for 366 in their first innings, and England have begun their reply, sitting at 6/0 after the first over. Expect the English openers to come out firing, so hop over to catch the action, but don’t forget to check back here for any weather improvements in Bengaluru.

UPDATE - 8.18 am GMT - A glimmer of hope, or is it too early to say? But, for now, the RAIN HAS STOPPED and the covers are coming off! But there's a stream of waterlogged on the covers. Also, for the first time today, the two match officiating umpires are out in the middle and are having a chat with the ground staff. We just might get an official update very soon. Fingers crossed! But, Tea is just around the corner, hardly 15 minutes or so left. So, pretty safe to say that the match will only start after Tea. Conditions applied - if only there's no rain or drizzle. Let's hope for the best. Also, the crowd in Chinnaswamy has gotten sparse due to consistent pouring and this positive development just might draw the crowd back to the stadium. Almost 19,000 tickets were sold, as earlier mentioned by Saba Karim on-air.

Given the persistent thick cloud cover, even if the rain stops completely, it's highly unlikely that the overcast conditions will clear. This weather pattern suggests that the playing conditions will heavily favour seam bowling. New Zealand boasts a quartet of seamers in their squad - Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and William O'Rourke. In contrast, India's pace options are more limited, with only Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep as their frontline seamers. For India, the inclusion of spin duo Ashwin and Jadeja in the playing XI seems certain. However, considering the seamer-friendly conditions, adding a third spinner to the lineup may not be a prudent strategy.

UPDATE - 7.37 am GMT - Uh, oh! RAIN IS BACK IN BENGALURU, AGAIN! And this time, it's a very steady downpour. So, another delay. The groundstaff had just started to inspect the conditions in the middle and also had a meeting with the match officials, but as of now, there's no activity whatsoever. What is more concerning is, that a threatening band of cloud cover is hovering over the 'Garden City' which might bring more rain. So for now, it's gloomy, muggy and overcast with a drizzle. We play the waiting game, optimistically. Every condition right now isn't permissible for the commencement of the game. Stay tuned for further updates.

UPDATE - 7.12 am GMT - Great news! The rain has finally stopped. The weather was anticipated to improve in the second session, and this could be the turnaround we've all been hoping for. With the venue's excellent drainage system, it should only take about 45 to 60 minutes to get the field ready for play. However, it’s still quite gloomy as the ground staff hover around the outfield. Let's keep our fingers crossed for no more rain.

UPDATE - 6.47 am GMT - Well, as per the schedule, the post-Lunch session should have started by now. But, that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. There's still a consistent drizzle in Bengaluru and we are in for more delay. But, the rain hasn't stopped the staunch cricket fans from turning up in the stadium. There's a fair bit of a crowd present, eagerly awaiting the commencement of the game. Stay tuned for further updates.

UPDATE - 6.01 am GMT - With the rain showing no signs of relenting, an early LUNCH has been taken. Saba Karim, at the venue and holding an umbrella, brings us a glimmer of hope. He mentions that while the drizzle is steady, it has started to brighten up a bit. However, Anil Kumble offers a contrasting view, suggesting that the drizzle has settled in and may not relent anytime soon. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a turnaround when we return after Lunch.

The weather around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is expected to be challenging for cricket over the next two days. On Day 2, afternoon showers are likely to disrupt play, with heavy rain predicted during the second session, potentially leading to significant delays. However, the forecast for Day 3 looks more promising, with a chance for uninterrupted play throughout the day. Although overcast conditions may prevail, the absence of rain could allow the match to progress without further weather-related interruptions, offering hope for a full day’s play. While it is predicted that the weather will improve over the weekend, on days four and five of the Test, some rain is still expected as per the Indian Meteorological Department. So it is undoubtedly going to be a start-stop kind of Test.

UPDATE - 5.28 am GMT - A glimmer of hope emerged as the rain had completely stopped not too long ago, but our joy was short-lived as the drizzle returned. The waiting game continues!

There's another exciting series in progress in the subcontinent. West Indies and Sri Lanka are currently battling it out in a 3-match T20I series. The first T20I was convincingly won by the tourists, but it now stands even-stevens as Sri Lanka bounced back very strongly and ran through their opponents in the 2nd T20I. Dambulla remains to be the exclusive venue for this T20I series before they head to Pallekele for the ODI series. Both teams are evenly matched and it has come down to a decider. Notably, West Indies are without the services of their marquee players like Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, but have got enough firepower in the ranks to challenge any opposition. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, under the leadership of Charith Asalanka will aim to take the home advantage and seal the series. The 3rd T20I is scheduled to be played on October 17th at 1.30 pm GMT.

UPDATE - 5.01 am GMT - Some positive news from Bengaluru! The rain has eased to a light drizzle, but there is still no activity on the ground. The ground staff are on standby, waiting for the rain to stop completely before they can commence their work. Meanwhile, down in Multan, Day 2 has begun with Pakistan resuming their innings at 259/5. You can switch tabs to follow all the action there, but make sure to keep an eye on the situation here as we await clearer skies.

As the waiting game continues in Bengaluru, let's hop over to Multan, where Day 2 of the second Test between Pakistan and England is about to begin shortly. Here’s a quick recap of what unfolded on the opening day. The standout performance came from debutant Kamran Ghulam, who scored a brilliant century, rescuing Pakistan after they found themselves in a spot of trouble early on. However, a couple of wickets in the third session meant that the honours were evenly split at the end of the first day. With the new ball now 10 overs old and expected early morning assistance, England will be hoping to run through Pakistan's lower order.

UPDATE - 4.30 am GMT - The rain continues to fall steadily in Bengaluru, and the covers remain firmly in place. Live visuals show Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli, along with Indian batting coach Abhishek Nayar, heading to the indoor practice area. New Zealand’s luck with the weather in India this year hasn’t been great. The last time they were here for a one-off Test against Afghanistan, the match was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. Let’s hope the weather improves so we can get this much-anticipated series underway. Stay tuned for more updates.

While we wait for the rain to relent here, let’s take a quick look at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 as the tournament heads to the knockout stage! It’s been an exciting tournament, to say the least. Especially with the West Indies Women surprising everyone by defeating the favourites from Group B, England Women, to secure their spot in the knockouts the other night. Now we have our final four - Australia Women and New Zealand Women from Group A, and West Indies Women and South Africa Women from Group B. The first semifinal is set for October 17 at the Dubai International Stadium, where Australia Women, the Group A toppers, will take on South Africa Women, the Group B runners-up at 2 pm GMT. Then, on October 18, Sharjah will host the second semifinal, featuring West Indies Women, the Group B toppers against New Zealand Women, the Group A runners-up, also at 2 pm GMT. It’s shaping up to be an exciting finish!

UPDATE - 3.46 am GMT - Saba Karim is at the venue, holding an umbrella and reporting that the picture looks bleak at the moment. There has been a persistent drizzle since early morning, and unfortunately, it seems to be getting heavier. He further adds that not all of the outfield is covered, only the playing surface and the square, but that shouldn't be a major issue for the outfield once the rain stops. Mentions that Bengaluru’s excellent drainage system means we can expect a quick turnaround once the weather clears.

UPDATE - 3.29 am GMT - The official word is in! The toss has been delayed due to rain. On a positive note, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium boasts one of the best drainage systems in India, and as per Anil Kumble, on air, once the rain stops, it should take no more than 45 minutes for the ground staff to get the field ready for play. Let's hope the rain subsides soon.

UPDATE - 3.11 am GMT - Uh oh! A dampener first up. It's currently raining steadily at the venue, and it has been the case since early morning. The covers are firmly in place, and unfortunately, we may have a delayed start to the series opener. No official word yet. Let's hope for the best. Stay tuned for further updates!

If the conditions stay overcast, as they seem likely to, the pacers will undoubtedly have a significant role to play, which works in the visitors' favour, given it's their strong suit. Historically, the Indian batters have shown vulnerability against the moving ball, and New Zealand will look to exploit that to put them on the back foot. However, the Kiwi batters themselves struggled against spin in Sri Lanka, and how they handle India's spinners will be pivotal to their fortunes in this series. All in all, it’s a crucial series for both sides, and we’re in for a crackerjack of a contest. Stick around for the toss and team news!

The twin defeats against Sri Lanka have significantly dented New Zealand's hopes of making it to the World Test Championship final. After this series, they will return home to host England for a crucial three-match series. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and his team, currently sitting atop the WTC standings, will be aiming to win all three Tests to solidify their chances of reaching the final before heading to Australia later in the year for a challenging five-match Test series.

On the other hand, the Kiwis are coming off a 2-0 drubbing in Sri Lanka and now face an even tougher challenge here in India. They will have to navigate this test without arguably their best batter, Kane Williamson, who is set to miss at least the first Test due to a groin strain. With Tim Southee stepping down as Test captain after the Sri Lanka series, New Zealand will be hoping for a change in fortune under the leadership of Tom Latham.

India undoubtedly start as favourites, as is often the case in home conditions. They have not lost a Test series at home since 2012, and New Zealand's last Test victory on Indian soil came 36 years ago, in 1988. Whether with bat or ball, the hosts appear to have all bases covered to thrive in these conditions. Their recent victory against Bangladesh in Kanpur, where they managed to secure a win despite two days being washed out, would have only further boosted their confidence.

Hello, one and all, from Bengaluru for the start of the much-anticipated Test series between India and New Zealand! We are at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first Test before the caravan moves to Pune and then Mumbai for the next two matches. A rain threat looms large over this clash, with showers expected to make an appearance over all five days. How much this will affect play remains to be seen.

... MATCH DAY ...

India vs New Zealand, New Zealand in India 3 Test Series 2024, 1st Test - Full Squad