Initiate self-destruct sequence: How India collapsed for 46 in 1st 2024 Test vs New Zealand

Often after teams are bowled out for paltry totals, a fact-finding mission follows, designated to find out the reasons that led to the collapse. In some cases, it is straight-up poor batting, sometimes it is excellent, unplayable bowling, while occasionally the conditions are the primary culprit.

In India's case, after being bowled out for 46 runs, their lowest at home, in the ongoing Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, somewhere down the line all three aforementioned points were responsible. But not in equal proportion mind you, and with a lot of self-shooting involved.

Vulnerability is not an adjective usually associated with India on home soil. A series-winning streak that extends to 12 years, a squad that covers all the bases, and the relentless ability to subdue the opposition works in their favor.

However, looking at it closely, India have been trapped in compromising positions before. Although it's part of the game, it does not bode well for a side that wishes to project 'invincibility'.

To India's credit, they have such command over their own conditions that they have always been able to bounce back. But how long until the fuel runs out and the clock runs down?

The 46-all-out may just be an anomaly in the grand scheme of things or the beginning of a downward spiral, either way, the shocking session should not be overlooked as it exposed the cracks in a supposedly well-oiled flawless system.

Did India over-estimate their batting or underestimate New Zealand's bowling and pitch?

The strangest part about India's disastrous batting performance was that they chose their fate. It was not as if Rohit Sharma and Co. had no choice but to be up against a three-pronged pace attack under cloud cover. They chose to be exposed to that particular challenge, backed themselves to survive the opening burst and capitalize in the long run. Little did they know that the opening burst encompassed their entire innings.

India are not the first side to entrust their batting ability to survive a tough opening phase. The hit-and-miss policy comes with its own set of risks - batters often survive the opening hour and then pile runs later on, or they crumble against the new ball and collapse, but demolition of this degree after choosing to bat first is a rarity. If conditions are that adverse, teams usually invite the other teams to have a bat.

A batting order such as India's has the ability to withstand any bowling attack and any conditions (on paper at least). When going out to bat, the Men in Blue must have expected to lose a couple of wickets as a worst-case scenario, following which the middle and lower order could score freely against the old ball.

However, India were met with conditions similar to the infamous Cape Town Test earlier this year. The ball swung around, moved in the air, and as if that was not enough, O'Rourke had a telling impact with his height and the bounce that came with it.

There is little chance that India, as a professional unit, underestimated the New Zealand bowlers. However, that does not absolve them of the crime. They perhaps placed too much trust in their batters to survive the adversity. This is where they sinned because looking at the recent record, such a performance does not come as a surprise.

India were long overdue for such a collapse at home

The lower middle order saving the team from a collapse is nothing out of the ordinary, but when it happens on a recurring basis, it becomes a cause for concern. This trend has been a common feature since cricket resumed after the pandemic. Whether it be the home series against England, Australia, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, oppositions have not had much trouble running through the middle-order to leave India in trouble.

On such occasions, there has either been individualistic brilliance, a rescue act by the lower middle-order, or the ever-reliable spinners coming into the act to save the overall batting blushes. The problem with this is that a time will come when nothing will click, and this Test could turn out that way for India.

It is not the first time that India have been blown away in a series opener at home. The defeats to Australia in 2017, and against England in 2020 and 2024 come to mind. They bounced back on all those occasions, but can they do it again?

The pitch had demons in it but India sped their way towards hell with their shot selection and decisions

As mentioned earlier, all three of excellent bowling, tough conditions, and poor batting played their part in India's debacle. But the latter of the three was by far the biggest contributor.

Virat Kohli persisting on the front foot despite William O'Rourke looking to hit the deck on a length led to his demise. The delivery was good, no doubt, but Kohli is hardly a stranger to excellent deliveries leading to his dismissal.

Sarfaraz Khan's brain fade made his counter-attack attempt look ridiculous while a lot of the other dismissals were down to a lack of conviction. A cagey approach and lack of clarity helped New Zealand reap the benefits of even the seemingly ordinary deliveries.

On the other hand, KL Rahul was the only candidate apart from the openers who had considerable experience against the new ball. But even then the likes of Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Rishabh Pant were all sent ahead of him.

KL Rahul getting dismissed for a duck does not drive this point home, it almost makes it inconsequential, but that was the approach that made the most sense.

In what was a cruel irony, the sun was beaming down in full throttle soon after New Zealand started their innings. The demons in the pitch have now been subdued after having their heart's content in the 10 Indian wickets in a cruel, friendly-fire episode.

On another day, under similar circumstances, India would have coasted through to stumps after recovering from an early wobble. But not today. Today they had to settle the debt from the accumulated favors in the past.