New Zealand Makes History with Test Series Whitewash Against India in India
|
| New Zealand becomes the first team to whitewash India in a three-match Test series at home, achieving three consecutive away Test victories for the first time. / BCCI |
In a historic and disheartening turn of events for Indian cricket, New Zealand has become the first team to whitewash India in a three-match Test series on home soil, completing the feat with a decisive 146-run victory in the final Test at Wankhede Stadium.
This marks the first time since the 1999-2000 season that India has suffered a Test series sweep at home, raising serious concerns about their standing in the World Test Championship (WTC) as they now find themselves in second place, needing to win at least four of their five Tests against Australia Down Under to maintain hopes of reaching the WTC final.
New Zealand’s triumph was built on a solid team performance that showcased their dominance in all aspects of the game. After winning the toss, captain Tom Latham chose to bat first, and although the visitors were bowled out for a modest 235 on the first day, they quickly regained control by dismissing four Indian batsmen, setting the stage for their series-clinching victory.
On Day 2, India began with promising intent, led by aggressive innings from Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill, which saw them establish a slender first-innings lead of 28 runs. However, the pitch began to deteriorate, presenting significant challenges for batting in the second innings. New Zealand, knowing they faced an uphill battle, mounted a spirited response, scoring 174 before being bowled out, with Ravindra Jadeja claiming another five-wicket haul, having already achieved the same in the first innings.
Chasing a target of just 147 runs to salvage some pride, India faltered dramatically. Star opener Rohit Sharma fell early, trying to pull a delivery from Matt Henry, and the batting lineup collapsed under pressure, reminiscent of past struggles against lower totals. Rishabh Pant’s fighting half-century kept India’s hopes alive momentarily, but he too was dismissed in controversial fashion, echoing his earlier misfortune in the first innings.
As the innings deteriorated, Ajaz Patel, who had excelled in his previous outing at this venue, wreaked havoc on the Indian batsmen, claiming 11 wickets in the match. With just 26 runs required and the last wicket at the crease, India’s hopes were extinguished when Sundar attempted a wild slog, only to lose his stumps, prompting jubilant celebrations from the New Zealand camp.
Daryl Mitchell, who played a pivotal role in the series, expressed the enormity of the victory, stating,
"It’s special to win a Test match here but also to win a series. This series feels really special and it is something you dream of. To come here at this famous ground and achieve the series sweep against such a world-class Indian side is the cherry on top of the cake."
India’s inability to chase down less than 200 runs has sparked criticism and concern, with previous low chases falling short against the West Indies (120), New Zealand (147), Sri Lanka (176), and England (194). This series marks India’s third consecutive Test loss, with the previous occurrences happening against West Indies in 1958-59 and England in 1976-77.
With their path to the WTC final now uncertain, India will need to regroup quickly as they prepare for a challenging series against Australia, where anything less than victory in four out of five Tests will likely mean the end of their World Test Championship aspirations.
Rohit Sharma (India Captain):
 |
"Yeah, absolutely. Losing a series or losing a Test match is never easy. It is something that is not digestible. We didn't play good cricket. New Zealand played better than us. Credit to them. We have to accept that we didn't play the best cricket and made a lot of mistakes. We didn't score enough first innings score in the previous two matches and were always behind in the game. In this game, we had a lead of around 30 (28 runs); we were a little ahead, but we failed to capitalize. While chasing a target, we need to have runs on the board. I had that in mind. It didn't come off. And when it doesn't come off, it looks bad. We come up with a certain mindset while batting; if it comes off, it is great, or else it looks really bad. I go in with certain plans and those did not come off this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that. As I said, we didn't play our best cricket, and that is why we are here. Those guys showed how to bat on this kind of surface: Pant, Gill, and Washington. You have to be proactive; for the last three years, we have been playing on pitches like that. This was an unfortunate series where we tried certain things that did not come off. I was not at my best as captain in leading the team or with the bat. Collectively, as a unit, we failed to perform."
Tom Latham (New Zealand Captain):
 |
| This series marks the first time India has been swept at home since 1999-2000 against South Africa. / BCCI |
"Yeah, look I am very ecstatic. Looking back at the start of the series, the boys have done a great job. To finally do it here in Mumbai, a surface that challenged us with bat and ball, pretty happy. Look, I think just being able to adapt to every ground. In Bengaluru, different guys chipped in at different times. Last week it was Mitch and this time it was Ajaz, he loves bowling here in Mumbai. Just wanted to try to keep it simple here. This is what I talked about a few weeks ago. Being proactive and understand how India play and adapt our best. Guys did well and happy to be standing here in this position. Putting runs on the board in these conditions, we had the belief that we had enough runs on the board. On this wicket, it was always going to be tricky. They are all special, the girls winning World Cup is special. We getting the win here is awesome and the Black Caps did the job last night (rugby team), so yeah, it's great time for New Zealand."