Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel claims 11 wickets, leading New Zealand to a 25-run victory and a 3-0 series sweep at the Wankhede Stadium.
New Zealand has become only the second team in the history of Test cricket to achieve a home series whitewash against India, following their victory in the third Test by 25 runs in Mumbai.
In their pursuit of 147 runs to win the final match and restore some dignity after losing the first two Tests and the series, India was dismissed for 121 on the third day of the match at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. This marks the second instance in India’s 90-year Test history where they have faced a home series whitewash, the first being against South Africa in 2000.
Ajaz Patel, a spinner from New Zealand born in Mumbai, was awarded the player of the match for taking 11 wickets across both innings. His final wicket was that of Washington Sundar, which ignited jubilant celebrations among the visiting team.
For India, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant offered a momentary resistance against the New Zealand spin attack, scoring 64 runs off 57 balls. Captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the team “didn’t play [our] best cricket” throughout the series and commended the visitors for securing their first Test series victory in India.
“Accepting defeat is never easy, but we must,” Rohit stated following the match.
“We did not score enough runs – we underperformed as a batting unit.”
Over the course of the three matches, the 37-year-old accumulated 91 runs in six innings and recognized that his aggressive batting strategy was ineffective in challenging conditions.
“You need to be ahead and proactive when chasing a target,” he remarked regarding his batting approach. “When it doesn’t succeed, it appears unfavorable.”
Rohit Sharma’s opening partner and prominent Indian batsman, Virat Kohli, experienced a similarly unsatisfactory series, accumulating a total of 93 runs across the three matches.
India’s upcoming Test series will take place in Australia, commencing with the first of five matches on November 22.
Rohit acknowledged that he did not perform at his peak during the home series but is aware of the necessary adjustments he must make.
In contrast, New Zealand’s captain, Tom Latham, expressed his delight in leading his team to a historic series victory.
“To finally achieve this [series win] here in Mumbai is a source of great happiness for us,” Latham stated during the post-match interview. New Zealand’s victory in the first match by eight wickets in Bengaluru on October 20 marked their first Test win in India since 1988.
They subsequently clinched the series in Pune six days later, triumphing in the second Test by 113 runs as India’s batting faltered on a pitch conducive to spin.
Latham described the achievement as an “all-round great team effort” throughout the three matches.
“Adapting to each venue has been crucial, with different players stepping up at various moments,” he added.
Will Young, who filled the one-down position due to the injury of former captain Kane Williamson, was awarded player of the series for his impressive total of 244 runs in the three Tests.
