Tom Latham’s New Zealand team made history by defeating Rohit Sharma’s India by 113 runs in the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Saturday, securing their first-ever series win in India. This marks India’s first home Test series loss since 2012, ending their record-breaking streak of 18 consecutive bilateral home series victories—the longest such run by any team.
New Zealand now hold a commanding 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with the final game set to take place at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium on November 1. As in the first Test, India’s batters struggled, with only a few standout performances, while the Kiwis maintained their momentum after their initial win.
India’s record streak of 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins—the longest for any team—has come to an end with their series defeat. India still have the longest unbeaten streak (home) in a Test series. They lost in 2012 before losing the series against New Zealand in 2024.
In the final session of Day 3 as were playing to stave off defeat, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were on the crease and made a crucial partnership of 33 runs. But it was Mitchell Santner who dismissed Ashwin to inch closer to a memorable win. (Explained: How Can India Still Make It To The WTC 2023-25 Final?)
Akash Deep replaced Ashwin and tried to hit a few boundaries along with Jadeja and seal a miracle win but again the Kiwis’ lethal bowling attack took control of the game. Ajaz Patel removed Akash in the 59th over.
With just one wicket away to win the game, Tom Latham used the Kiwi spinners to end the match on Day 3 itself. However, with nothing to lose, Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah kept hitting over the boundaries.
In the 61st over, Ajaz picked the final wicket of the game and helped New Zealand bag historic 113-run win. The Kiwi spinner removed Jadeja when the India all-rounder went for a big shot. Tim Southee present on the long-on calmly took the catch and finished the game.
It was Santner who shined in the Pune Test as he picked 13 wickets in the second match of the series. Santner led the Kiwi bowling attack in the second inning as he picked up six wickets and gave 104 runs in his 29-over spell. Ajaz bagged two crucial wickets, While Glenn Phillips picked one.
India were reeling at 178/7 at Tea with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten with scores of 9(10) and 4(13), respectively. (‘Kohli Ki Galti Hai’: Fans Slam Virat Kohli After Rishabh Pant’s Run Out On Day 3 During IND vs NZ Test In Pune)
Earlier, Gautam Gambhir, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill sought to structure India’s 359-run chase against the Kiwis with some sensible strokes. But Mitchell Santner haunted India’s batters with his sheer accuracy to take New Zealand closer to victory.
Gill (23) walked back pretty early in the session and Jaiswal (77) edged one to Daryl Mitchell. Washington Sundar was promoted up in the order to join stalwart Virat Kohli at the crease.
The duo adopted a defensive approach, which allowed New Zealand bowlers to keep the flow of play in check. Mitchell Santner trapped Kohli (17) in front of the stumps with an arm ball and Rishabh Pant ran himself out to further increase India’s woes.
Sarfaraz Khan failed to deal with a ball that spun away from his bat and crashed into the stumps. Sundar was forced to return to the dressing room after Will Young took a sharp catch.
On the opening hour of Day 3, Ravindra Jadeja was the architect behind New Zealand’s downfall, making short work of their tail end.
After restricting the Kiwis to 255, Jaiswal and skipper Rohit Sharma arrived on the field loaded with ammunition. Mitchell Santner turned up the ante after Tim Southee and William O’Rourke lost their attacking edge with the new ball.
Santner entered the fray and made an impact. Rohit tried to have a go against Santner but failed in his exploits. He took a step forward while trying to negate Santner’s delivery but ended up edging the ball straight to Will Young.
India have only once managed to chase down a 300-plus total. The victory dates back to 2008 when India faced England in Chennai. Brief Score: New Zealand 259 & 255 (Tom Latham 86, Glenn Phillips 48*; Washington Sunda 4/56) beat India 156 & 245 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 77, Shubman Gill 23; Mitchell Santner 6/104). (WITH ANI INPUTS)
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