Bengaluru: In a thrilling encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, New Zealand secured a historic victory over India in the first Test of the series, marking their first Test win on Indian soil in 36 years.
This win has significantly impacted the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings, with New Zealand jumping to fourth place and narrowing India’s lead.
New Zealand’s triumph was powered by stellar performances from Rachin Ravindra and Will Young, who formed a solid partnership to chase down the target with ease3. India’s initial innings collapse, where they were bowled out for just 46 runs, set the stage for New Zealand’s dominance. Despite a valiant effort from Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant, who added 177 runs for the fourth wicket in India’s second innings, the hosts couldn’t prevent New Zealand from clinching the match.
This defeat has reduced India’s points percentage in the WTC standings from 74.24% to 68.06%, making their path to the WTC Final more challenging as they now face closer competition from Australia and Sri Lanka5. India will look to bounce back in the upcoming Tests to regain their momentum and strengthen their position in the WTC standings.
