New Zealand wins 3rd test by 25 runs to sweep series against India 3-0

MUMBAI, India (AP) — New Zealand secured an historic 3-0 series victory in India as it won a dramatic third test by 25 runs on Sunday.

Ajaz Patel took 6-57 to bowl the Black Caps to victory as it became the first visiting side to complete a clean sweep in a minimum three-test series against India.

Glenn Phillips provided strong support, picking up 3-42 as India crashed to 121 all out in 29.1 overs shortly after lunch on the third day.

Rishabh Pant was the lone resistance for the hosts with 64 off 57 balls, including nine fours and a six, but his counter-attacking half century went in vain as India lost its last three wickets in four balls.

India’s previous worst showing was a 2-0 loss to Hansie Cronje’s South Africa in 2000 in a two-test series. It last loss in a home series was to England — 2-1 in a four-test series — in 2012.

Patel’s six wickets took his tally to 25 at the Wankhede Stadium in four innings. He bowled a record 10-119 here in 2021, finishing that game with 14 wickets.

On Sunday, Patel finished with 11-160 to go past England’s Ian Botham who had taken 22 wickets at the same ground and was previously the most successful visiting bowler at any venue in India.

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New Zealand won the first two tests in Bengaluru and Pune by eight wickets and 113 runs, respectively, registering a landmark first test-series win in India, but an even greater achievement was to come.

It was the first instance of New Zealand winning three tests in a series home or away, and the first instance of winning three successive away tests.

“We are ecstatic. Looking back at the start of the series, to be now in this position, the boys have done a fantastic job over the last three tests. We understood how India play and just tried to do our best. Our players chipped in at different times through the series,” said Tom Latham, New Zealand’s winning captain.

Chasing 147 runs to avoid an unprecedented home series whitewash, India stumbled to lunch at 92-6 with only Pant’s half-century proving a spanner in the works for New Zealand.

Pant put on 42 off 53 balls for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (6) to give India some hope of reaching the target after it had earlier slumped to 29-5.

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor series continued as he was caught for 11, going after Henry with another ill-judged pull shot that was caught at midwicket.

Patel bowled Shubman Gill for one, the batter leaving the ball only for it to knock back his off stump.

The Sunday crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was stunned when Virat Kohli was caught at slip for one in the following over.

Phillips then sent back Yashasvi Jaiswal for five, out lbw. Sarfaraz Khan (one) hit a full toss straight to the square leg fielder as India collapsed.

Pant then led India’s recovery with some unorthodox shots, while Jadeja was watchful for the most part.

Their partnership pushed India back into contention, before Jadeja was dismissed at short leg for six off 22 balls.

After lunch, Pant took India past 100 and remained key to the end-result for both sides.

In the 22nd over, he was given out caught behind via television review. He seemed to have edged Patel, but the on-field umpire turned it down. New Zealand captain Tom Latham reviewed and the replays showed there was a deflection off the bat on to the pad which looped up and was caught by Tom Blundell.

Pant walked back dejected, after hitting nine fours and a six, in what had looked a match-turning 35-run partnership with Sundar.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Sundar added 15 runs as scoring dried up, before Phillips struck twice in the 29th over.

The allrounder had Ashwin caught behind trying a reverse sweep, with DRS detecting a faint glove touch. Next ball, Phillips bowled Akash Deep to leave India on the precipice.

Patel then created history as he bowled Sundar two balls later – India had collapsed losing its last four wickets for 15 runs.

It was the second-lowest total defended by New Zealand to win a test after 137 runs against England in Wellington in 1978.

“It is not something easily digestible,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma. “We didn’t play our best cricket and we have to accept it. I didn’t do well as captain and as batter. We made a lot of mistakes. They (New Zealand) did so much better than us throughout the series.”

Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja picked a second five-for in the test as New Zealand was bowled out for 174 runs in its second innings.

The Kiwis had closed day two at 171-9 and could only add another three runs from 14 deliveries. Jadeja dismissed Patel for eight, out caught, for his 15th five-wicket return in tests.

Jadeja finished with match figures of 10-120, his third ten-wicket haul in his 77 tests.

New Zealand scored 235 runs in its first innings, while India took a slender 28-run lead with 263 runs in reply.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket