[WATCH]- Team India Reach Pune For The Second Test Against New Zealand

Team India arrived in Pune on Monday, October 21, in preparation for the second match of the three-Test series against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, set to begin on Thursday, October 24.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted highlights of the players’ journey from Bengaluru to Pune, showcasing their warm welcome at the team hotel. Here’s a video shared by the BCCI:

https://x.com/bcci/status/1848382054481703043?s=46

The hosts had a challenging start to the series, facing a significant setback after opting to bat first. They were bowled out for just 46, their third-lowest total in Test history. In response, New Zealand scored 402 in their first innings, with Rachin Ravindra contributing a century (134), giving them a commanding lead of 356 runs.

In the second innings, senior players Rohit Sharma (52) and Virat Kohli (70) led a fightback. Sarfaraz Khan scored his first century with 150, while Rishabh Pant narrowly missed his seventh ton, finishing with 99.

Despite being in a strong position at 408-3, the hosts collapsed and were bowled out for 462. In pursuit of a target of 107, Will Young (48*) and Rachin (39*) made key contributions, guiding the Black Caps to an eight-wicket victory.

“I’m not going to dwell too much on this Test match”- Rohit Sharma reflects on India’s defeat in the first game

At the post-match conference, Indian captain Rohit Sharma emphasized that one poor session shouldn’t define his team. He stated that they know what needs to be addressed as they prepare for the second Test. Rohit said:

“Even here, there are a lot of good things that happened along with 3-4 hours of bad cricket. So, keeping a lot of cricket in mind that is coming up, I am not going to look too much into this Test match.”

“That 3 hours is not going to dictate what this team is. It would be very unfair to think about those three hours and start judging players and talking slightly differently.”

“Looking forward to the second Test in Pune, we know exactly what we need to do and where we lie as a team. It’s about keeping a calm atmosphere and not sending panic messages.”

“It’s important we stay strong and try and see how we can nail the second game. All in all, I thought except that first couple of hours, three hours, I thought we played very good Test cricket,” he added.

India holds the top spot in the World Test Championship standings.

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