IND vs NZ 1st Test | 'Was this his last test match?': KL Rahul’s touching tribute to Chinnaswamy pitch sparks online buzz

KL Rahul (Pic: AFP)

India paid the price for getting all out for 46 in the first innings of the IND vs NZ 1st Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, their lowest-ever total at home, despite special efforts from Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99) in the second essay.

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra was regal in both innings as he nullified India's ace spinners with ease and guided his side to their first Test win in India since 1988.

It was India's second home Test defeat this year. England won the opener of a five-match series in January but India won the next four.

While the Men in Blue remain at the top of the standings, Sunday's defeat has somewhat weakened their hold on a place in next year's final, as their percentage drops to 68.06% ahead of two more Tests against New Zealand and a five-match series with Australia at the end of the year.

Australia and Sri Lanka are currently India's closest challengers in the standings, with the Pat Cummins' side in second place at 62.50%, and the island nation narrowly behind at 55.56% following their recent series sweep over New Zealand.

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Meanwhile, in a recently surfaced clip, KL Rahul was seen bowing to the pitch and touching it after the match concluded on Sunday afternoon. This poignant act led many fans to speculate whether it could be his last appearance in Test cricket.

Below are some reactions from X.

The venue holds particular significance for Rahul, who played at Chinnaswamy Stadium as part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru from 2013 to 2016 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has also represented Karnataka in domestic cricket.

Regrettably, his performance in the Bengaluru Test was underwhelming, as he managed scores of 0 and 12 across the two innings.