Devon Conway's sensational one-handed catch to dismiss Sarfaraz Khan during the opening India vs New Zealand Test match in Bengaluru on Thursday has taken the internet by storm.
The opening Test between India and New Zealand witnessed a dramatic turn of events on Day 2, following the rain-marred first day in Bengaluru. After India’s skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat, hopes were high for the home side to capitalize on the conditions. However, New Zealand’s pace attack and a stunning one-handed catch by Devon Conway have left Indian fans reeling.
The Indian batting order suffered early blows with both captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli dismissed cheaply. But it was the dismissal of Sarfaraz Khan that has taken the spotlight, thanks to Conway’s acrobatic brilliance in the field.
In the 10th over, with India already in a precarious position at three down, Sarfaraz Khan was looking to stabilize the innings. Facing Matt Henry, the young batter looked to go down the ground, but ended mishitting the ball that flew towards mid-off. Conway leaped to his right and plucked a remarkable one-handed catch mid-air, leaving Sarfaraz and the Indian camp in disbelief.
FLYING DEVON CONWAY. 🥶🔥 pic.twitter.com/AvqomDFV1B
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)The jaw-dropping grab immediately went viral on social media, with cricket enthusiasts worldwide praising Conway’s reflexes, agility, and athleticism. The moment not only cemented New Zealand’s upper hand but also became the defining moment of Day 2’s play.
Great Catch
— Faheem (@Faheem01932588)A good catch. What a horrible start we are having.
— Biplab Das (@biplab_kdas)Every NZ player feels as Jhonty Rhodes when it comes to play against INDIA
— 𝙆𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙮 (@KiranReddy18597)A testing time ahead for the indian batters! 🏏
— RATHORE (@GSR2139)Sarfaraz tries to counterattack, looks to go down the ground, ends up mis-hitting but mid-off is wide as it usually is in such conditions. Conways sticks out his right hand, diving, and grabs this with the ball past his body.
— VIRAT 𓃵 (@mahibhambu_36)Excellent stuff 👍👍
— विनय रावत पड़वा (@Vinayra84037211)Bro is coming back to CSK just for his fielding and the amount of runs he saved in 2023 season with that
— Staunch Insafian (@Staunchinsaafi)Stunning catch 💥
— Chrís (@fan_of_vj)India’s innings got off to a rocky start, with Rohit Sharma trying to play aggressively against Tim Southee’s disciplined bowling. Sharma, known for his explosive batting style, stepped out to play a big shot, but misjudged the delivery. The ball sailed past his bat, crashing into his leg stump, giving India its first shock of the day.
The real surprise came moments later when Virat Kohli, India’s batting mainstay, fell for a duck. New Zealand debutant William O’Rourke delivered a short ball that took extra bounce, catching Kohli off guard. The ball brushed his glove and went straight to Glenn Phillips in the slips, leaving Kohli walking back without troubling the scorers.
Sarfaraz Khan, who replaced an injured Shubman Gill in the lineup, was the next to fall, thanks to Conway’s one-handed stunner. This left India reeling at 13 runs for the loss of 3 wickets before rain interrupted play again.
The Indian team management informed after the toss that Shubman Gill was unavailable due to neck stiffness and was not "100 percent" fit for selection. This led to Sarfaraz’s inclusion, but his early departure has added pressure on the rest of the Indian lineup.
India’s decision to go with a spin-heavy attack, replacing seamer Akash Deep with Kuldeep Yadav as the third spinner, also remains to be tested as the match progresses.
India and New Zealand are scheduled to play two more Tests following the conclusion of this match. The second Test will be held in Pune from October 24-28, and the third in Mumbai from November 1-5. With New Zealand already striking significant blows early in the series, the pressure is now on India to bounce back in the first Test.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke.