Team India captain Rohit Sharma has now surpassed Virat Kohli for the most home losses as an Indian captain during his Test tenure. This milestone was reached after India lost the first Test against New Zealand by eight wickets at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Batting first, India was bowled out for just 46 runs, marking their lowest total at home and the third-lowest in Test history. In response, New Zealand scored a formidable 402 runs in their first innings, taking a lead of 356.
India, powered by Sarfaraz Khan’s 150, Rishabh Pant’s 99, Virat Kohli’s 70, and Rohit Sharma’s 52, managed to post 462 runs, setting New Zealand a target of 107. Although New Zealand lost Tom Latham for 0 and Devon Conway for 17, Rachin Ravindra (39*) and Will Young (48*) guided them to victory, giving them a series lead and their first win in India since 1988.
This defeat marked Rohit Sharma’s third loss at home, tying him for third-most with MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Bishan Singh Bedi. Rohit has now surpassed Virat Kohli, who has two losses, after suffering defeats against Australia in Indore, England in Hyderabad, and New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi holds the record with nine home Test defeats. Virat Kohli has lost only two home Tests: his first against Australia in Pune in 2017 and another against England in Chennai in 2021.
“We have players who know how to recover”- Rohit Sharma during the post-match press conference
Rohit Sharma expressed great confidence in his teammates following the defeat, stating that the team includes players who know how to recover under pressure. He mentioned this during the post-match press conference:
“We knew it was going to be challenging with overcast conditions and pitch being a bit sticky. But I did not expect that we will be bowled out for under 50. Credit to New Zealand. They challenged every corner of our bat. We have the guys who know how to bounce back. We lost the first Test against England and then won the series.”
New Zealand leads the three-match Test series 1-0. The second Test is scheduled to take place in Pune on October 24.
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