New Zealand have handed India their first Test series defeat at home in 12 years. India lost a three-match series today after they lost the second test match by 113 runs. With this New Zealand have won their first ever series-victory on the Indian soil in nearly 70 years.
The Kiwis ended India’s streak of 18 consecutive Test series victories at home. This marked only the fourth Test series defeat for India on their home turf since the turn of the century.
The significant defeat keeps India at the top of the WTC table with 98 points; however, their percentage points have taken a hit, dropping to 62.82. Australia is now just behind them at 62.50.
Before heading to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it was crucial for India to win the series at home to strengthen their top position and secure a spot in the WTC final. With the challenge posed by Australia, India’s task has now become even more difficult.
In their chase of 359, the Indian batters struggled once again, getting bowled out for just 245. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 77 and Ravindra Jadeja contributed 42, but they were the only ones to put up any resistance against the Kiwis.
Facing an uphill battle to keep the series alive and protect their record, none of the specialist Indian batters, except for the 22-year-old Jaiswal, who scored 77 runs off 65 balls, could withstand the challenge posed by Santner’s orthodox left-arm spin. Santner’s impressive figures of 7 for 53 and 6 for 104, totaling 13 wickets in the match, paved the way for a remarkable victory for New Zealand. They adapted better to the conditions and outplayed Rohit Sharma’s team at their own game.
(With PTI inputs)
