46 all-out new 36 all-out? Cricket Australia mocks India over historic low Test total at home

Cricket Australia mocked India’s record low Test score of 46 runs against New Zealand, their lowest total at home and in the subcontinent, following a historic batting collapse at the Bengaluru Test.

New Delhi: Cricket Australia took the opportunity to mock the Indian cricket team following their stunning collapse in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test on October 17. India was thoroughly outclassed by New Zealand, being bowled out for a mere 46 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

This marked India’s lowest total on home soil and their third-lowest in Test history. Their all-time low remains 36 runs, which they scored against Australia in Adelaide during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Seizing the moment, Cricket Australia took to social media to troll the Indian team by sharing highlights of their batting collapse from that infamous match in Adelaide.

They also used a cheeky tweet to take a dig at the Indian team, saying “Is ‘All Out 46’ the new ‘All Out 36’?”

Is ‘All Out 46’ the new ‘All Out 36’? #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/HrD03En9cy

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 17, 2024

Interestingly, India made a remarkable comeback during that series, ultimately winning it 2-1. Cricket Australia’s tweet comes just ahead of this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, set to begin in November.

Just a week after their impressive victory in Kanpur, India faced a catastrophic defeat against New Zealand, getting bowled out for a mere total on Day 2 of the first Test in a three-match series. India’s innings lasted only 31.2 overs on a gloomy morning in Bengaluru, marking their third-lowest total in Test history and the lowest ever recorded in a home Test match.

The collapse was instigated by New Zealand’s pace attack, as William O’Rourke and Matt Henry wreaked havoc after veteran Tim Southee began the rout by dismissing Indian captain Rohit Sharma within the first hour of play. Choosing to bat first under overcast skies on a damp pitch—having been under covers for three days due to rain—turned out to be a costly decision for India.

Five Indian batters, including Virat Kohli, who was batting unusually at No. 3, along with Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and R Ashwin, fell victim to ducks, plunging the hosts into disarray at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

India’s total of 46 established a new record for the lowest Test score in the subcontinent, surpassing the West Indies’ previous record of 53 against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1986.

It also marked the lowest Test score ever recorded on Indian soil, surpassing the previous record of 53 set by New Zealand against India in Mumbai in 2021.