New Zealand achieved an historic 3-0 series sweep against India, securing a 25-run victory on day three of the final Test in Mumbai by dismissing the home team for just 121 runs on a challenging pitch.
This marks the first time India has been whitewashed at home since 2000, when they lost a two-match series to South Africa. With a demanding five-match series against Australia on the horizon, Rohit Sharma’s team is under significant pressure.
Rishabh Pant stood out as the sole Indian batsman to make an impact, scoring an impressive 64 runs after the team had stumbled to 29-5 on the spin-friendly surface of Wankhede Stadium.
Ajaz Patel delivered a stellar performance, claiming 6 wickets for 57 runs, marking his second five-wicket haul of the match and once again dismantling the Indian batting lineup.
Rohit Sharma attempted to set the tone by stepping out to hit Matt Henry for a boundary in the first over. However, his struggle continued as he fell for just 11 runs after playing a reckless shot against the same bowler.
Patel quickly made an impact, taking two wickets in consecutive overs. Shubman Gill, who had impressed with 90 runs in the first innings, left a delivery that crashed into the stumps, departing for just one run.
Virat Kohli’s stay at the crease was brief; he edged Patel’s delivery to slip for a single, leaving India in dire straits at 18-3 on a challenging pitch at Wankhede Stadium.
The situation worsened when Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped lbw for five by Glenn Phillips, and Sarfaraz Khan hit a full toss from Patel straight to Rachin Ravindra, scoring only one run.
Ravindra Jadeja provided some stability alongside Rishabh Pant, putting together a 42-run partnership before a spectacular catch by Will Young left India struggling at 71-6.
Patel struck again after lunch, dismissing Pant following a New Zealand review, although the batsman seemed to indicate that he hadn’t touched the ball before it was caught.
As runs dried up, the Indian side collapsed under pressure.
Earlier, New Zealand began their second innings at 171-9 and needed only 14 balls to finish their innings, with Jadeja having Patel caught in the deep. Jadeja concluded the match with impressive figures of 5-55, having also taken five wickets in the first innings.
New Zealand’s victory in the first Test in Bengaluru by eight wickets marked their first win in India in 36 years, and they secured the series in Pune with a 113-run win. This historic series victory, their first in India since 1955, ended India’s remarkable streak of 18 consecutive home series wins, dating back to a 2-1 loss against England in 2012.
