In a shocking turn of events, India’s cricket team was bowled out for just 46 runs against New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 17, 2024. This score is now India’s lowest ever in a Test match played at home, beating their previous low of 75 runs against West Indies in Delhi back in 1987.

Playing at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, India’s batting lineup crumbled in just 31.2 overs. The team’s performance was so poor that five batsmen, including star player Virat Kohli, couldn’t score a single run. This collapse happened in the first innings of the match, showing how badly India struggled right from the start.

A History of Low Scores

While this is India’s worst performance at home, they’ve had other low scores in Test cricket before:

1. 36 runs vs Australia in Adelaide (December 2020)
2. 42 runs vs England at Lord’s (June 1974)
3. 58 runs vs Australia in Brisbane (November 1947)
4. 58 runs vs England in Manchester (July 1952)
5. 66 runs vs South Africa in Durban (December 1996)

India’s Lowest Home Scores

The new record of 46 runs is part of a worrying trend of low scores in home Tests:

1. 46 vs New Zealand in Bengaluru (October 2024)
2. 75 vs West Indies in Delhi (November 1987)
3. 76 vs South Africa in Ahmedabad (April 2008)
4. 83 vs England in Chennai (January 1977)
5. 83 vs New Zealand in Mohali (October 1999)

This poor performance brings up important questions about India’s cricket team. Are the players finding it hard to handle pressure? Is there an issue with how they’re preparing for the matches? And how will this impact the team’s confidence in future games?

Cricket fans and experts are shocked and worried. Many are calling for changes in how the team trains and picks players.

-Sanyogita