MUMBAI: After a difficult tour of Asia, New Zealand won an unprecedented 3-0 series victory in India. The battered Indian team will be confronted with unsettling questions before their trip to Australia for five Tests.
On the third day of the third and final test on Sunday, the Black Caps’ spinners took full advantage of a difficult wicket in Mumbai to dismiss India for 121 in the second innings and win by a famous 25 runs.
In a two-match series against South Africa in 2000, India was completely beaten at home, and Rohit Sharma’s team was completely outplayed by the tourists in different conditions.
We are overjoyed. New Zealand’s new permanent skipper Tom Latham, who took over following a 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka, said, “The boys have done a fantastic job over the last three Tests. Looking back to the start of the series to now be in this position.
“We talked about it after each Test match, attempting to back it up, and I surmise to at last do it here in Mumbai on something else altogether, one that tested us with bat and ball, we’re really cheerful.
“Just being able to adapt to each ground… Various men stood up at various times. The beauty of team sports is that. Overall, it was a great team effort. I’m happy for the guys.
India, which dropped to second in the World Test Championship table behind Australia, will need to put in a lot of effort next year to reach a third consecutive final.
After the hosts were reduced to 29-5 on a pitch that was turning at Wankhede Stadium, Rishabh Pant was the only Indian batsman to show resistance, scoring a magnificent 64 runs.
Man of the Match Ajaz Patel, who was born in Mumbai, took 6-57, his second five-wicket haul of the match. Fellow spinner Glenn Phillips took 3-42 to help the hosts score a low score in the series once more.
Daryl Mitchell, who scored 82 runs in the first innings, said, “It’s seriously special first of all to win a Test match here at this historic ground and also to win a series 3-0.” You only want it in your dreams. It’s pretty special to actually win against a world-class Indian team in this country.
“We’re just a group of Kiwis taking on the world,” they say.
The visitors beat India by eight wickets in the opening match in Bengaluru, their first Test victory in India in 36 years, and then won the second match in Pune by 113 runs to win the series.
CONFIDENCE DENTED In Mumbai, New Zealand defeated India despite the oppressive heat and humidity, denting the hosts’ confidence before their November 22 matchup with Australia.
The first time New Zealand had won a series in India since 1955 also ended the hosts’ home winning streak of 18 series since losing 2-1 to England in 2012.
After Sharma stepped out of his crease to hit Matt Henry for a four in the first over, the captain continued his disappointing recent run of form and was bowled out for 11 by the same bowler.
In 10 innings, he has only produced one half-century, scoring six runs or fewer.
Shubman Gill, who had scored a magnificent 90 in the first innings, left a ball that hit the stumps and departed for one, giving Patel two wickets in two overs.
As he edged Patel to score, the out-of-form Virat Kohli did not last long once he reached the crease.
As Glenn Phillips trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for five and Sarfaraz Khan hit a full toss from Patel straight to Rachin Ravindra in the deep on one, the crowd once more fell silent.
Ravindra Jadeja and Pant steered the ship in a 42-run stand, but India were on the verge of collapse at 71-6 thanks to a stunning catch by Will Young.
After a New Zealand review after lunch, Patel dismissed Pant, even though Pant appeared to suggest he hadn’t touched the ball before it was caught.
After that, there were no more runs, and India fell apart in a huddle. Washington Sundar was the last player to leave while he was trying to get big.
It’s never easy to lose a test match or a series. It is difficult to digest. We accept that we did not play our best cricket, though. Sharma stated, “New Zealand played better than us throughout.”
“We accept that we made a lot of mistakes… As captain, I wasn’t at my best leading the team and playing the bat as well.”
New Zealand began their second innings with a score of 171-9, but India was able to dismiss the Black Caps in just 14 balls thanks to Jadeja’s catch of Patel in the deep for 5-55, his fifth wicket of the innings.
Scoreboard: NEW ZEALAND 235 (D. Mitchell 82, W. Young 71; R. Jadeja, 5-65, and W. Sundar, 4-81) INDIA, 263 (S. Gill, 90, R. Pant, 60; A. Patel (5-103) New Zealand (171-9) in the second inning, overnight:
T. Latham beat Deep 1; D. Conway beat Sundar 22; W. Young beat Ashwin 51; R. Ravindra beat Pant beat Ashwin 4; D. Mitchell beat Ashwin beat Jadeja 21; T. Blundell beat Jadeja 4; G. Phillips beat Ashwin 26; I. Sodhi beat Kohli beat Jadeja 8; M. Henry beat Jadeja 10; A. Patel beat Deep beat Jadeja 8; W. O’Rourke 1-2 for Latham, 2-39 for Conway, 3-44 for Ravindra, 4-94 for Mitchell, 5-100 for Blundell, 6-131 for Phillips, 7-148 for Sodhi, 8-150 for Young, and 9-171 for Henry. India (second innings): Deep 5-0-10-1, Sundar 10-0-30-1, Ashwin 17-1-63-3, Jadeja 13.5-3-55-5 (1nb)
V. Kohli c. Mitchell b. Patel 1 R. Pant c. Blundell b. Patel 64 S. Khan c. Ravindra b. Patel 1 R. Jadeja c. Young b. Patel 6 W. Sundar b. Patel 12 R. Ashwin c. Blundell b. Phillips 8 A. Deep b. Phillips 0 M. Siraj not out 0 Extras (B-12) 12 TOTAL ( 1-13 for Sharma, 2-16 for Gill, 3-18 for Kohli, 4-28 for Jaiswal, 5-29 for Khan, 6-71 for Jadeja, 7-106 for Pant, 8-121 for Ashwin, and 9-121 for Deep. Henry won by 3-0-10-1, Patel by 14.1-1-57-6, and Phillips by 12-0-42-3. By 25 runs, New Zealand prevailed.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Series by Ajaz Patel: 3-0, New Zealand prevailed in the three-match series.
PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Young Will
