By Sanjeev Kumar Patro
Bhubaneswar: The New Zealanders have made history. And India starred at a new record of defeats. New Zealand, now, joined a select league of nations who handed India the bitter taste of defeat on their home turf. The Kiwis become the sixth international side to register a series win against India on Indian soil.
India has played 13 test series with New Zealand at home, but they never had lost any series to the Kiwis. This is the first series win for New Zealand.
The cricket statistics throw a bouncer of sort that is hard to duck. After 1983, India has lost three test matches on it home soil. While in all the years, Indian lost series due to diabolic pace attacks, this time the batting wizards fell to Kiwi slow bowlers. The details are given below.
- 1969: India lost 4 test matches (3 against Australia, 1 against New Zealand)
- 1983: India lost 3 test matches (all to West Indies courtesy Malcolm Marshal)
- 2024: India lost 3 matches (1 to England in Jan 24, 2 to New Zealand in Oct 2024)
For the hitman Captain Rohit Sharma, this series defeat has earned him a dubious place. He becomes the second most Indian captain to lose most test matches under his captaincy in home. Details below.
- MAK PATAUDI : 9
- ROHIT SHARMA: 4
- KAPIL DEV: 4
- MOHAMMED AZHARUDDIN : 4
MITCHELL SANTNER: MAN OF MOMENT
The slow left arm orthodox bowler took his career best in the Pune test match to hand over New Zealand its first series win in India. Profiling of Santner brings to fore following facts.
- Santner got his chance to represent New Zealand once Daniel Vettori decided to retire from the game. He is a like-for-like replacement of the veteran.
- He made test debut in 2015
- After a lack luster debut in 2016-17, despite promising career before debut, Santner did start 2018 brightly, and the IPL selection by CSK boosted him further.
- He is considered by many as the next Daniel Vettori.
- The 13 wicket haul in Pune test is his first first 10 wicket haul in his 49 innings
- The 5 wicket haul in career spanning 29 test matches came twice in Pune test match only
- In the 1st innings Santner scalped 7 Indian wickets
- In the Innings number 2, he took 6 wickets.
- He made Virat Kohli out twice – bowled in 1st innings, LBW in 2nd.
