In a thrilling series of matches, New Zealand has etched its name into the annals of cricket history by becoming only the sixth visiting team to secure a bilateral series victory against India on its own soil in the longest format of the game. This achievement came on New Zealand’s 13th visit to Indian shores, a tour that promised much but delivered so much more, as the Kiwis had previously tasted victory just twice in this formidable arena, with their last win as far back as November 1988.
New Zealand’s recent triumph over India also marked the end of an astounding era of dominance for the home team. Until this series, India had been unbeaten in 18 consecutive home series dating back to 2012/13 when England clinched a 2-1 victory in a four-match contest. This unparalleled streak illustrated India’s cricketing prowess on home turf, surpassing even Australia’s remarkable runs of ten series wins across two distinct periods in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It’s worth recalling that the last time India suffered defeats in the first two Tests on home ground was against South Africa during the 1999/00 season.
This loss marks only the third occasion on which India has fallen three or more times in home Tests within a single calendar year. Historical parallels are drawn from 1969, when India succumbed to four losses (three against Australia and one against New Zealand) and 1983 when they were overpowered thrice by the West Indies. This recent series against New Zealand began with promise for India, but after a loss earlier in the year to England in Hyderabad, the hopes for recovery were dashed.
The series also brought to light some pertinent statistics regarding Indian captain Rohit Sharma. Under his leadership, India has now faced four losses in 15 home Tests, a figure that positions him in joint second place for the most home Test defeats by an Indian captain. The role of captaincy in India’s cricket has seen highs and lows, and other notable names like MAK Pataudi, who leads with nine defeats, and Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin who each faced four losses over 20 Tests are often part of critical discussions.
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Central to New Zealand’s success was Mitchell Santner, whose stellar bowling performance secured him figures of 13/157—a record placing him behind only Richard Hadlee’s 15/123 against Australia in 1985 and Ajaz Patel’s 14/224 at the Wankhede Stadium three years ago. Santner now holds his place as the third New Zealand bowler to take 13 or more wickets in a single Test against India, following in the footsteps of Ajaz Patel and England’s Ian Botham. Remarkably, Santner also became only the second New Zealand spinner, after Daniel Vettori, to claim five-fers in both innings of a Test, underscoring a significant achievement for New Zealand’s spin attack.
Speaking of spin, one cannot overlook the brilliance of the spinners in this Test series. A total of 37 wickets fell to spin—matching the record for the most spinners’ wickets in a match on Indian soil, a record set by the same two teams in Nagpur in 1969. In world cricket, only two instances with more spinners’ wickets have been recorded: 38 in a Test between Sri Lanka and England in Pallekele in 2018 and another 38 in a match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Chattogram in 2019.
The synergy of spin was further highlighted by the shared success of Santner and Washington Sundar, each achieving ten-wicket hauls in a Test for just the eighth instance in cricket history. Santner’s match figures of 13/157 outshone Washington Sundar’s 11/115, though Sundar can take solace in achieving the second-best match figures for India in a Test defeat. The only better figures belong to Javagal Srinath’s 13/132 against Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship at Eden Gardens in 1999.
Meanwhile, in the realm of batting, Yashasvi Jaiswal reached a personal and national milestone, accumulating 1,056 runs, surpassing Gundappa Viswanath’s 1979 record of 1,047 runs. Jaiswal’s performance places him among the greats, joining the ranks of Indian legends like Viswanath and Sunil Gavaskar, who also surpassed the 1,000-run mark in a calendar year at home.
New Zealand’s exceptional performance in this series has not only ended an impressive streak held by India but has also added a new chapter to the thrilling, unpredictable world of Test cricket.