New Zealand Makes History, Hands India First-Ever 3-0 Test Series Whitewash at Home
New Zealand won the third Test against India by 25 runs in Mumbai, capping an extraordinary 3-0 series thumping of India at home.
Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips led the triumph, which is an incredible accomplishment. Ajaz took 11 wickets in each innings, making him the most successful foreign bowler at this ground. New Zealand defended a modest goal of 146 as India’s squad failed to meet expectations, despite a heroic 64 from Rishabh Pant.
Match Summary
- New Zealand: 235 & 174
(Mitchell 82, Young 71; Jadeja 5-65, Washington 4-81; Young 51, Jadeja 5-55, Ashwin 3-63) - India: 263 & 121
(Gill 90, Pant 60; Ajaz 5-103, Phillips 3-42; Pant 64, Ajaz 6-57)
Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips combined for nine crucial wickets in India’s second innings, supporting New Zealand’s outstanding 146-run defense. Although Rishabh Pant’s bold 64 off 57 balls displayed moments of genius, India was eventually unable to win.
A contentious DRS ruling that reversed an on-field call in favor of New Zealand momentarily stopped India’s chase momentum. After a review, the third umpire reversed the earlier ruling that Pant was not out for padding up to an Ajaz ball, claiming an UltraEdge deflection. The choice turned out to be crucial, giving New Zealand the upper hand again.
In the series finale, Ajaz Patel returned to his birthplace and left a lasting impression. Ajaz regained his rhythm after taking all ten wickets in an innings on Indian soil previously. He took five wickets in India’s first innings and six in the second. Pant tried to disturb him with strong sweeps and reverse sweeps, but Ajaz’s precise lengths and quick turn kept most Indian batters at bay and caused them to struggle.
A difficult pitch with significant turn and inconsistent bounce added to India’s batting problems. Virat Kohli edged a catch to slip, and Shubman Gill was dismissed early due to poor decision-making. Alongside Pant, Ravindra Jadeja put on 42 runs until he was hit by a turning delivery.
After beginning his innings with a flat six over Ajaz’s head and finding boundaries in spite of New Zealand’s in-out fields, Pant’s aggressive style offered a glimmer of optimism. But in the end, his efforts failed to produce a victory, as India’s lower order fell apart.
Indian hitters were exposed to uneven bounce as a result of New Zealand’s successful choice to forgo a pitch roll prior to India’s second innings. India’s openers were kept under pressure by Matt Henry and New Zealand’s second spinner, Glenn Phillips. Phillips continued his outstanding work as a supporting spinner by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal with an LBW.
India has never lost all of its Test matches in a home series consisting of three or more games before this 3-0 thumping. India’s chances of chasing down the score were curbed by New Zealand’s methodical bowling attack and strategic field placements, which gave the visiting team a historic series win.
