IND vs NZ: New Zealand Gives Team India Its First Ever 3-0 Rout on Home Soil!
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: In the shocking denouement to the three-Test series, New Zealand made history as no visiting team ever before them swept India on Indian soil. This ended the Test for New Zealand as well with a close 25-run win; it marked disciplined bowling and also resilience to match. On the side of Team India, that came home did not come in handy both in the aspect of batting and also when chasing to hold New Zealand bowlers at bay. Here is India's Last Innings and Chase Mishap:
After being bowled out for 174, New Zealand had set a target of 147 for India. Had it been a small target of 147, still the Indian batsmen failed to cope with pressure because such big scores were very rare to be witnessed. The Indian team entered into a disastrous chase right from the very start when their skipper Rohit Sharma, who got dismissed with a single-digit score of just 11 runs after making a poor shot. Then, Shubman Gill was bowled out for a mere run of one. It went on to be a disastrous day for the batting camp as well.
Virat Kohli, who was expected to consolidate the innings, was finding it tough against the spinners, spearheaded by Ajaz Patel. The sharp delivery by Patel tempted Kohli to play a bad shot, which became an easy catch and cut short Kohli's innings. Sarfaraz Khan also continued to be out of form and was dismissed without much effect, further mounting pressure on the Indian top order.
Rishabh Pant's Lone Fight and Fall of the Middle Order
Rishabh Pant gave the silver lining during further collapse by showing a good fight with a 57-ball knock that fetched him 64 runs. It was his aggressive batting, which brought hope for the Indians and kept the chase alive for some time. Pant's resistance and a counter-attacking approach gave the Indian fans reasons to cheer, but Indian tail failed to hold any ground after his dismissal. Soon after Pant was sent back, the rest of the batting line-up started crumbling, and India ended up getting bowled out for 121 runs less than the target by a margin of 25 runs.
New Zealand Breaks Record, Bowlers Unstoppable
This win assured New Zealand a series victory, and they entered history books as the first side to hand India a clean sweep of a home Test series. The spinners were at their best with Ajaz Patel shining particularly well by negating India's middle order by sending key batsmen packing as well as building pressure throughout the Indian chase.
The Black Caps emerged victorious in this historical series on Indian soil and, therefore, showed the world that they were capable of playing in the Indian conditions, especially by capitalizing on crucial moments. They tore down the Indian batting line-up with proper disciplined bowling and strategic field placements in each Test match, thus entering a new chapter in New Zealand cricket history.
Summary of a Historic Loss for India
This unprecedented loss on home soil has called for reflection within Team India. Batsmen could not provide any partnership, and New Zealand's bowlers capitalized every opportunity to break the flow of India. This historical clean sweep reminds everyone about the depth and talent present in New Zealand cricket, as well as the resilience the Indian team will need when they face New Zealand again in the future.
As New Zealand celebrate their historic victory, the team India would look for introspection and rebuilding for their next battles.
