New Zealand win Mumbai Test to claim series 3-0, becomes first team to whitewash India in India
Ajaz Patel picked 11 wickets in Mumbai to help New Zealand win the third and final Test against India, claiming a 3-0 win – perhaps their greatest Test series win ever. Though Rishabh Pant tried saving India’s sinking ship with a gritty 64 in the second inning, a horror collective show with bat from the rest ensured India surrendered in the third straight Test this time.
With this series win, New Zealand became the first team to whitewash India in Tests in India.
Almost three years after rocking the cricket world with his ten wickets in an innings against India in the Mumbai Test, New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel returned to haunt the hosts at the same venue, picking six wickets in the second innings, including removing big ones like Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and even domestic giant Sarfaraz Khan. With Washington Sundar’s wicket, Patel completed a historic win for New Zealand on this tour, helping them clinch an away Test series in India – the toughest feat to conquer.
Chasing 147, India lost their captain, Rohit Sharma, to Matt Henry early in the innings before Patel accounted for Gill and Kohli to reduce India to 18 for three at one stage. Glenn Phillips got rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal on five before Patel returned to pick Sarfaraz Khan for the second time in this game to dent India’s morale.
Rishabh Pant’s innings, however, was the only silver lining for the hosts, who, with his masterful counterattack, kept their hopes alive in this match.
Though Jadeja and Sundar provided little support from the other end, things began going downwards just after lunch, with India losing the remaining four wickets for 30 runs.
Phillips contributed with the ball in this Test, picking four wickets across both innings, including three in the second.
Pant – India’s saviour
Rishabh Pant was on song for India, hitting fifties in both innings. Though he made headlines for his heroics throughout this series, Gill’s 90 in the first innings laid the foundation for them to take the lead for the first time against New Zealand this time.
For the visitors, Daryl Mitchell (80) and Will Young (71) were the architects in the first innings, with Young continuing his brilliant touch in the next, hitting a standout 51.
For 244 runs across three matches, Young was named the Player of the Series.
Meanwhile, New Zealand was without their star batter, Kane Williamson, with Southee rested following the series win in Pune.
India will travel to Australia next for the marquee five-match Test series starting on November 22 in Perth, while New Zealand will host England for three Tests later this year.
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