Following the loss, while most players headed to Pune for the second Test scheduled to begin on October 24, Virat Kohli, along with his wife Anushka Sharma, chose to spend time with his family.
Source: Hindustan Times
India faced a reality check as New Zealand secured a historic eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru on Sunday. Rohit Sharma’s team, which had been on a six-match winning streak, including a clean sweep against Bangladesh last month, struggled despite winning the toss and opting to bat first. They were bowled out for their lowest-ever score at home, managing just 46 runs. Amid this, Virat Kohli, accompanied by his wife Anushka Sharma, chose to focus on family time after the defeat.
In the second innings on Day 3 of the opening Test against Tom Latham’s New Zealand side, India showed signs of a comeback, sparked by a counter-attacking 136-run partnership between former captain Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan. Both had been dismissed for a duck in the first innings but bounced back with crucial half-centuries on the third evening. Kohli was dismissed on the last ball of the day for 70, and in doing so, he became the fourth Indian batter to surpass 9,000 runs in Test cricket.
Sarfaraz Khan went on to score 150, forming a 178-run partnership with Rishabh Pant, which helped India overcome a 356-run deficit and post a total of 462, setting New Zealand a target.
New Zealand, however, comfortably chased down the 107-run target, with Will Young (48) and Rachin Ravindra (39) securing an unbeaten 75-run partnership to wrap up the game early on Day 5, completing an eight-wicket win.
Since 2014, India has performed strongly at home in Test cricket, but this loss was a setback. While most players, including captain Rohit Sharma, left for Pune to prepare for the second Test starting on October 24, Virat Kohli chose to spend time with his family. He flew to Mumbai, where he attended the Krishna Das Kirtan with his wife, Anushka Sharma. The couple had previously attended a similar event in London in July, following Kohli’s break from international cricket after India’s T20 World Cup win in June.
India’s record in Pune has been mixed. They have played two Tests at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, losing the first in 2017 to Australia by 333 runs, one of only two defeats India suffered during Kohli’s eight-year captaincy. However, in 2019, they bounced back with an innings and 137-run victory over South Africa at the same venue. After their recent loss to New Zealand, Virat Kohli, along with his wife Anushka Sharma, chose to spend time with family before the team heads to Pune for the next Test.
Follow us for more Insights
