New Zealand reduce India to 34-6 at lunch on day two

BENGALURU :New Zealand’s quick bowlers wreaked havoc in overcast conditions as they reduced hosts India to 34-6 at lunch on the second day of their rain-hit opening test on Thursday.
Rishabh Pant was 15 not out at the break after rain, which had washed out the opening day’s action, briefly halted proceedings midway through the session.
William O’Rourke was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-13, with India in danger of folding for their lowest total at home since making 75 against the West Indies in New Delhi in 1987.
Rohit Sharma was fortunate to survive a loud appeal for lbw from Matt Henry in the morning, after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat in a seamer-friendly environment under lights at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The skipper did not last long at the crease as Tim Southee castled him with a delivery that nipped back in. The Black Caps then landed two more heavy blows by dismissing Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan for ducks in successive overs.
Kohli, in at number three after Shubman Gill was ruled out with injury, was caught at leg gully by a diving Glenn Phillips after O’Rourke got one to move back in towards the batsman’s ribcage.
Sarfaraz Khan fell to Henry thanks to a stunning catch by Devon Conway at mid-off, leaving the hosts teetering at 10-3.
New Zealand could have had a fourth wicket shortly after the rain delay but for sloppy wicketkeeping by Tom Blundell, who dropped a simple chance to hand Pant a lifeline when the left-hander was on seven.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was not as fortunate when a well-timed cut off O’Rourke went straight to Ajaz Patel, before the impressive paceman sent back KL Rahul for a duck.
Henry then compounded India’s woes by removing Ravindra Jadeja for another duck, the fourth of the innings.