India rolled for just 46, Pant hurt against NZ

India have been skittled for 46 just a month out from their tour of Australia, marking their lowest total in a home Test, with an injury scare to Rishabh Pant further souring their opening Test against New Zealand.

The Black Caps have already built a 134-run lead after reaching 3-180 when bad light stopped play at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with opener Devon Conway leading the way with 91 runs off 105 balls.

This was after fast bowler Matt Henry grabbed 5-15 to blow away India for just 46. Young paceman William O'Rourke took 4-22. Pacer Tim Southee took the other wicket, the first to fall, when he bowled captain Rohit Sharma.

Pant was then forced to leave the field late in the day after being hit in the right knee while keeping wicket. He had hurt the same knee in the 2022 car crash that threatened his career.

But captain Rohit Sharma downplayed the injury.

"Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his knee cap, the same leg on which he has got a surgery done. So he has got a bit of swelling on it," Rohit said after play.

"And you know the muscles are quite tender at this point in time, so it's a precautionary measure. We don't want to take a risk.

"Rishabh doesn't want to take a risk because he has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside. Hopefully, at night he can recover and we will see him back on the field tomorrow."

Rachin Ravindra (22) and Daryl Mitchell (14) were unbeaten at stumps on day two of the first Test.

India had five ducks in their innings - including star Virat Kohli - to equal their second most zeros in a Test innings. That was all under dark skies with the stadium lights on.

Henry completed his fiver for the fourth-best haul for a New Zealand quick in India, to reduce the home side to 9-40.

The innings ended at 46, the lowest Test total in Asia, surpassing 53 by West Indies against Pakistan in 1986 and 59 by Pakistan against Australia in 2002.

India's previous lowest home total was 75 in 1987 against the West Indies in New Delhi.

But as soon as India were all out in 32 overs, the sun came out and the pitch flattened.

New Zealand overhauled India's total in a jiffy as Conway and skipper Tom Latham (15) put on 67 runs for the first wicket.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav trapped Latham before the Kiwis went to tea at 1-82.

In the final session, the visitors drove home their advantage with Conway scoring 50 off 54 balls. He put on 75 runs for the second wicket with Will Young, who scored 33.

Young attacked India's spinners and he hit five boundaries before being out caught off Ravindra Jadeja.

All three India spinners were among the wickets when Ravichandran Ashwin bowled Conway short of his century.

New Zealand were down to 4-53 after losing two wickets in 16 deliveries but Ravindra and Mitchell defied India's desperate search for a comeback.

Earlier, India collapsed to their third lowest Test score, after 36 all out against Australia in Adelaide in 2020 and 42 all out against England at Lord's in 1974.

For New Zealand, Henry became the third fastest bowler to 100 Test wickets, in 26 innings, one short of Richard Hadlee's record of 25.

After the first day was washed out, India were a stunning 34-6 by lunch.

Sharma, who won the toss and decided to bat, was out for 2 in the seventh over. Kohli, caught by Glenn Phillips off the bowling of O'Rourke, was out two overs later at 9-2.

Sarfaraz Khan also left the field without scoring in the next over, at 10-3. After another rain delay at 3-13, India lost three more wickets before lunch.

Post lunch, Henry dismissed Ravichandran Ashwin on the first ball. Then Rishabh Pant, top-scoring with 20 runs, was out caught, again off Henry.