"new-zealand"

Etches his name into the record books on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand, becoming the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to score 2,500 Test runs

Sarfaraz picked from where he had left off on day 3 to bring up his maiden Test century, reaching 125 not out from 154 balls with 16 fours and three sixes

After Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal put on 72 runs for the first wicket, Sarfaraz came out firing, finishing unbeaten on 70 off 78 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. Kohli showcased his classic style, effortlessly driving, lofting, and sweeping his way to 70 runs off 102 balls, making him the fourth Indian to reach the 9,000 Test run milestone.

Kohli is the fourth Indian batter to reach this milestone, following Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs). Notably, he took the most innings to achieve this feat, reaching it in 197 innings.

Ravindra impressed with 13 fours and four sixes in his 157-ball innings, marking his second international century in Bengaluru, the city of his family’s roots. He also contributed to a vital 137-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Tim Southee, who scored 65 off 73 balls. This partnership is now tied for the highest eighth-wicket partnership for New Zealand in Tests against India.

Despite New Zealand losing four wickets in the morning session, Ravindra, whose family is from Bengaluru, picked up the pace with an impressive century featuring 11 fours and two sixes. The 21-year-old's century marks his second in Test cricket, following his maiden hundred against South Africa earlier this year.

Ravindra reaches 104 not out from 125 balls with 11 fours and two sixes while adding an unbeaten 112 runs for the eighth wicket with Tim Southee

Captain Rohit Sharma says there was some swelling and the team did not want to take any risks

After bowling India out for 46—their lowest total at home in Tests and the third lowest overall—thanks to Matt Henry’s 5-15 and William O’Rourke’s 4-22, New Zealand gained the lead, propelled by Conway’s performance, which notably included his impressive handling of the Indian spinners.

As bright sunshine gradually gave way, Conway excelled at clipping and driving Mohammed Siraj for boundaries, followed by expertly timing his fours off Jasprit Bumrah. What truly stood out in Conway’s impressive innings was his ability to take on premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

This marks India's lowest total at home and the third-lowest Test score overall. Previously, India's lowest at home was 75 against the West Indies in New Delhi in 1987, while their lowest overall remains 36 against Australia in a pink-ball Test in Adelaide in 2020.

India lost the wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma (2), Virat Kohli (0) and Sarfaraz Khan (0) early in the morning

Gill was unavailable for selection of the first Test due to a neck stiffness, says the Indian team management after the toss

Persistent rain, with frequent interruptions, prevented the ground from being ready for play, leading to an early call-off for the day. The BCCI announced that the toss will now take place at 8:45 AM on Day 2, Thursday.

Rohit, who played 15 innings this year, has made two hundreds but managed only one fifty in the remaining 13, totaling 497 runs in eight Tests at just over 35

Since losing to New Zealand in the 2021 World Test Championship final, India reached the 2023 final and is now the top-ranked team in Test cricket. They recently secured a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh, including a standout victory in the rain-affected Kanpur Test with aggressive batting.

Williamson suffered a groin strain during New Zealand's innings and 154-run loss to Sri Lanka last month. He has been advised to remain at home for rehabilitation ahead of the first Test against India in Bengaluru, which begins on October 16.

India bowled out for 102 in 19 overs in their pursuit of 161 with not a single player reaching an individual score of 20

A victory against them could well be counted as a sign of being in fine shape --tactically and mentally

Former Indian cricketer Laxman details how the women cricketers went about their preparation for the big event