In an unprecedented triumph, New Zealand has etched its name in the annals of cricket history by becoming only the sixth visiting team to conquer India in a bilateral series on their home turf in the longest format. This significant victory marks New Zealand’s 13th tour to India, during which they had previously clinched only two Test wins, the last of which dates back to November 1988. Let’s delve deeper into this historic achievement, its context, and the key contributors to New Zealand’s success.
India, known for its formidable track record at home, saw an extraordinary interruption to its 18 consecutive series wins. The last time the Indian team faced a defeat on its soil was in the 2012/13 season, when England prevailed 2-1 in a four-Test series. India’s 18-series streak remains the longest spree of bilateral series wins for any team at home, with Australia’s ten series wins—achieved over two different periods (1994/95 to 2000/01 and 2004 to 2008/09)—as the second-longest streak. This defeat also marked the first time since 1999/00 that India lost the first two Tests of a home series, a feat previously accomplished by South Africa.
Adding another layer of rarity to the series loss, this was only the third instance in cricket history where India dropped three or more Tests in a single calendar year on home ground. The previous occurrences were in 1969, when India lost four matches (three against Australia and one against New Zealand), and in 1983, when they were defeated three times by the West Indies. Prior to the 0-2 series defeat to New Zealand, India had suffered an unexpected loss to England in Hyderabad earlier in the year.
A notable figure in this stunning series was New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, whose stellar performance on the field earned him match statistics of 13/157 (7/53 & 6/104), placing him third on the list of the best match figures by a New Zealand bowler. Santner is preceded only by Richard Hadlee’s 15/123 against Australia at the Gabba in 1985 and Ajaz Patel’s 14/224 at the Wankhede Stadium three years ago.
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Santner’s achievement makes him only the third bowler to take 13 wickets or more against India in a Test match—a feat previously accomplished by Ajaz Patel’s 14/224 in 2021 and Ian Botham’s 13/106 in 1980, both at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Moreover, Santner has the distinction of becoming only the second New Zealand spinner to secure five-fers in both innings of a Test, following in the footsteps of Daniel Vettori. Vettori accomplished this feat twice: against Australia in Auckland in 2000 (5/62 & 7/87) and against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2004 (6/70 & 6/100).
Spin played a critical role in this particular Test, with 37 wickets claimed by spinners, equaling the record for the most in a match on Indian soil. The only other instance of 37 wickets falling to spinners was also involving these two teams in Nagpur, back in 1969, marking New Zealand’s maiden victory over India in India. Globally, only two other Tests have surpassed this, with 38 wickets falling to spinners in matches between Sri Lanka and England in Pallekele in 2018, and Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Chattogram in 2019.
This Test witnessed an exceptional occurrence where two spinners each took ten-wicket hauls—Santner with 13/157 and Washington Sundar with 11/115. Such an event had not been seen since the Galle Test in 2008, when Ajantha Mendis finished with 10/209 and Harbhajan Singh with 10/153.
Washington Sundar’s impressive 11/115 placed him second on the list of best match figures by an Indian player that resulted in a team’s defeat, behind only Javagal Srinath’s 13/132 against Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship at Eden Gardens in 1999.
Interestingly, while New Zealand celebrated their victory, Yashasvi Jaiswal, an Indian batsman, achieved a personal milestone, scoring 1056 runs in a calendar year, breaking Gundappa Viswanath’s 1979 record of 1047 runs. Jaiswal is now amongst the elite list of batters—including Viswanath and Sunil Gavaskar from 1979—who have amassed over 1000 runs in a calendar year on home soil.
This triumph by New Zealand not only boosts their confidence but also serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of cricket, where records and streaks can end abruptly, paving the way for fresh milestones.