Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

India 46 All-out Against NZ: Recalling the Nation’s Worst Defeats in Recent Years

Lady Luck and skills—both seem to be not in India’s favour as the team faltered poorly in the first innings

Fresh from whitewashing Bangladesh in both the T20 and Test series, the India team was hoping to keep the momentum against New Zealand. However, things have gone the opposite direction for the men in blue since October 16, i.e., the first day of the first Test series, which got completely washed away due to rain.

However, on October 17, when the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant took the stage, the diehard Indian fans in Bengaluru cheered with all their might, only witnessing the entire Indian batting line-up getting all-out within 46 runs in 31.2 overs.

At the time of draughting this article (4:41 p.m. – October 17), it seems New Zealand has gotten off to a decent start with 154 runs on board by losing three wickets.

Presently, despite India’s sloppy batting, it is incredibly tough to determine the outcome of the match. Although in the wake of India’s disastrous batting, we take a look at some of India’s biggest Test defeats in recent years. After all, if India fails to control the game, it could turn into a heavy defeat for the Indian side.

World Test Championship final, 2021

June 18, 2021, is not a day the Indian cricket fraternity wishes to remember, given how the Kiwis toppled the favourites. After months of struggle, India had reached the finale, hoping to clinch the title with a star-filled lineup.

However, batting first, the Indian line-up only managed to put up 217 runs in the first innings whereas in the second innings, were all-out for 170 runs. For New Zealand, the final was really a walk in the park as they cruised to the title, defeating India by eight wickets.

World Test Championship final, 2023

Australia has always been India’s kryptonite in major tournaments, and in 2023, India lost two finals against the Baggy Greens. Before the ICC World Cup heartbreak, Australia humiliated India in the World Test Championship final played in London from June 7. Batting first, the Aussies put on a show by scoring 469 runs, whereas the bowlers did well to restrict India to 296 runs. In the second innings, Australia added another 270 and handed over a 209-run defeat to India.

A batting horror in Wellington

In the first Test of India’s tour of New Zealand in 2020, the Indian batting line was wrapped up by the Kiwis in merely 165 runs in the first innings. The second innings was no better, as the Men in Blue could only manage another 191 runs. New Zealand won the game within four days and by ten wickets, leaving the Indian side embarrassed.

A loss by an innings

In the second Test match of India’s tour of England, the Lord’s witnessed the Indian batting line-up falling apart like Jenga blocks. The entire team was back in the pavilion within 35.2 overs, scoring 107 runs in the first innings. The second innings were no better as India scored another 130 runs, while England scored 396 runs in its first innings. Therefore, the English side won the game by a whopping 159 runs and an innings.

It will be interesting to see if India can turn things around in its favour from a pretty dismal position.