In what has been a landmark achievement for New Zealand cricket, the Kiwis have secured their third-ever Test match victory on Indian soil, their first such triumph in nearly four decades. The Test match, taking place in Bengaluru, was a testament to New Zealand’s grit and resilience, marking their first win in India since 1988. This hard-fought victory draws a parallel to their historic win in England in 1983, which occurred 52 years after their initial encounter with the English team in 1931.
New Zealand’s victory in Bengaluru is particularly significant in the annals of cricketing history. This feat marks only the seventh instance since the year 2000 that a visiting team has successfully chased a target greater than 100 runs in the fourth innings on Indian soil. Furthermore, it spotlights a rare occurrence where India, after opting to bat first upon winning the toss, lost a Test match at home in the last decade—a feat previously experienced only once.
This year has been notably challenging for the Indian cricket team, as it marks the first time since 1987 that the team has suffered a home Test defeat against two different teams within the same calendar year. Earlier this season, England also managed to secure a win against India in Hyderabad. The match in Bengaluru harks back to a similar situation faced in 1987 when India lost to Pakistan and later to the West Indies on their home ground. It is a rarity for any team other than England or Australia to attain victory over India in a Test match on Indian soil since South Africa’s triumph in Nagpur back in 2010.
The New Zealand side demonstrated remarkable proficiency with the bat, scoring at a run rate of 4.29, which stands as the third-highest against India in India. This impressive rate closely trails Australia’s 4.92 at Wankhede in 2001 and England’s 4.35 at Visakhapatnam earlier this year. Moreover, the match saw the highest run rate for a Test conducted in India, clocking in at 4.08. India’s own run rate of 4.
.64 over their 462 runs is the highest ever for them in a 450-plus Test innings.
This Test defeat for India at Bengaluru is the first in 19 years at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, with their last loss occurring against Pakistan in March 2005. Since 1990, this venue has witnessed five defeats for India, the highest at any home ground during this period, with the second highest being four losses at Wankhede Stadium. India’s 462 in the third innings of this Test is noteworthy as the highest total that ended in a loss for them on home turf, eclipsing their previous high of 449, coincidentally at the same venue against Pakistan in 2005.
An additional layer of peculiarity to this loss is the fact that the Test match saw an entire day’s play washed out due to rain, a unique scenario for India, paralleling only to a washed-out day against the West Indies back in 1966 at Kolkata.
New Zealand’s staggering first-innings lead of 356 runs is the highest they have achieved against India, previously holding a lead of 314 at Napier in 2009. This remarkable lead is also the fifth highest taken against India at home by any team. In the subcontinent, this lead is second only to New Zealand’s 363 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2004.
The disparity between India’s first and second innings couldn’t be starker, with a leap from 46 runs in the first innings to 462 in the second. This improvement is one of the most significant in cricketing history, second only to South Africa’s dramatic 390-run rebound after being bowled out for 30 against England at Birmingham in 1924. India’s bounce back also ranks third for the highest score improvement, trailing only a recovery against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 and against New Zealand in Mohali in 1999.
Notably, the Test saw seven Indian batsmen dismissed for ducks, tying for the second most in any Test involving India. This unfortunate tally matches an earlier record against England at Leeds in 1952 and is reminiscent of Australia’s historic Old Trafford ducks against England in 1888.
In the realm of bowling, the economy rate of 4.93 for both teams’ spinners is the second highest in a Test featuring more than 600 deliveries of spin bowling. This statistic follows closely the Lahore Test between Pakistan and India in 2006. Features of New Zealand’s triumph include William O’Rourke’s outstanding bowling figures of 7/114, setting a benchmark for a New Zealand bowler on a maiden Test in India, surpassing Dayle Hadlee’s 6/74 in 1969 at Brabourne. Moreover, the 17 wickets claimed by New Zealand pacers stand as the most by any visiting fast bowling unit against India in India since South Africa’s 19 wickets in Ahmedabad in 2008.