New Zealand defeat India: New Zealand triumphed over India by 25 runs at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, completing a clean sweep of the series with a 3-0 victory. The team’s chase has been disappointing, with only Rishabh Pant showing any promise at the crease; the rest of the batting lineup struggled to adapt to the conditions. In their pursuit of 147 runs, India struggled significantly, collapsing to 29/5 before Rishabh Pant attempted to stabilize the innings. However, his dismissal by Ajaz Patel marked a turning point, leading to a rapid loss of the remaining wickets. Ajaz Patel was the standout performer, claiming a remarkable 11 wickets in the match, while Will Young played a crucial role for New Zealand, scoring half-centuries in both innings and serving as the backbone of their batting lineup.
This defeat not only impacts India’s World Test Championship points but also raises questions about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. November has proven challenging for him in this role. Congratulations are in order for the New Zealand team, as this victory stands out as one of their finest achievements in Test cricket.
Sharma got off to a strong start, stepping out of his crease to hit Matt Henry for a four in the opening over. However, his recent struggles continued when he was dismissed for just 11 after playing a reckless shot against the same bowler.
Ajaz Patel quickly made his mark, claiming two wickets in consecutive overs. Shubman Gill, who had scored an impressive 90 in the first innings, left a delivery that crashed into the stumps, departing for just one run. Virat Kohli followed soon after, edging Patel’s delivery to slip for another single, leaving India in a precarious position at 18-3 on a challenging Wankhede Stadium pitch.
The situation worsened when Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped lbw by Glenn Phillips for five, and Sarfaraz Khan hit a full toss from Patel straight to Rachin Ravindra in the deep, also scoring just one.
Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant briefly stabilized the innings with a 42-run partnership, but a spectacular catch by Will Young left India reeling at 71-6. Patel dismissed Pant after a New Zealand review following lunch, despite the batsman’s belief that he hadn’t touched the ball before it was caught.
From that point, runs became hard to come by, and India crumbled under pressure. Earlier, New Zealand resumed their second innings at 171-9, but it took India only 14 balls to bowl them out, with Jadeja ending Patel’s innings to finish with impressive figures of 5-55, having also taken five wickets in the first innings.
New Zealand had secured an eight-wicket victory in the opening Test in Bengaluru, marking their first win in India in 36 years, and they clinched the series with a 113-run triumph in Pune. This series victory is New Zealand’s first in India since 1955, ending India’s remarkable streak of 18 consecutive series wins at home since their last loss to England in 2012.