Rachin Ravindra headlines NZ’s first Test win in India since 1988

New Zealand 402 (Ravindra 134, Conway 91, Jadeja 3-72) and 110 for 2 (Young 48*, Ravindra 39*, Bumrah 2-29) beat India 46 (Pant 20, Henry 5-15, O’Rourke 4-22) and 462 (Sarfaraz 150, Pant 99, O’Rourke 3-92) by eight wickets

The exhilarating Bengaluru Test got the climax it deserved, with New Zealand made to work hard to complete their first Test win in India in 36 years. Under overcast skies, the ball seamed around appreciably, Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, and the crowd appealed almost every ball, but New Zealand absorbed it all to ease their way to the target of 107 once things settled down a touch.

Will Young was the calming influence after Bumrah got Tom Latham second ball of the day, but Devon Conway did his bit – jumping around, wearing blows on the body, but not playing loose shots. By the time Bumrah finally got Conway for 17 off 39 balls, he was at the fag end of his spell and New Zealand had scored 35 already. The fielders did their bit, having saved at least 11 runs by then.

But once again India’s misreading of the pitch came back to hurt them. They didn’t have a third seamer to exploit the conditions, and Young and Rachin Ravindra knocked off the remaining runs with relative ease.

While Bumrah bowled, though, you struggled to see where the next run would come from. He drew 22 false shots in eight overs, consistently drawing movement off the surface. Latham might have thought he had the accurate inswinger covered, but the ball pitched and nipped in even further to get him. Conway thought he had the angle covered from around the wicket, but this one swung after pitching, beginning to change its path halfway between pitching and reaching Conway, beating the outside edge and trapping him in front.

Bumrah was in his seventh over now, and Ravindra, the first-innings centurion, all but sealed the deal when he got two boundaries off the first three balls he faced. He steered the first one behind square, and then got the rare loose ball from Bumrah – a full one on the pads.

Young then paddled and punched Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries in his first over to get the package ready. Not trusting the Bengaluru weather to hold up after lunch, the two batters attacked the spinners to put a nice little bow on the top. Young’s drop-kicked six off Kuldeep Yadav was even Mark Waugh-like.

India made a remarkable comeback from being bowled out for 46 in the first innings, but in the end, New Zealand hung in long enough to seal only their third Test win in India and their first since 1988.