New Zealand have become only the second team in Test cricket history to hand India a home series whitewash after winning their third Test against the hosts by 25 runs in Mumbai.
Needing 147 runs to win the final match and salvage some pride having lost the first two Test matches and the series, India were bundled out for 121 on the third day of the match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
In their 90-year Test history, India earlier suffered a home series whitewash at the hands of South Africa in 2000.
Mumbai-born New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel was named player of the match for his 11 wickets across both innings. The left-arm bowler’s final wicket came as he bowled out Washington Sundar, prompting wild celebrations from the visitors.
For India, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant provided a brief resistance against the New Zealand spin attack as he scored 64 runs off 57 balls.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma admitted the team “didn’t play [our] best cricket” during the series and credited the visitors for winning their first Test series in the country.
“It’s never easy to accept defeat but we have to,” Rohit said after the match.
“We didn’t put enough runs on the board – we failed as a batting unit.”
The 37-year-old scored 91 runs in his six innings across the three matches and admitted his attacking approach did not work in tough batting conditions.
“You’ve got to be ahead and proactive [when you are chasing the target],” he said, commenting on his batting. “When it [the approach] doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look good.”
Rohit’s top-order partner and leading India batter Virat Kohli had a similarly disappointing series, with an aggregate of 93 runs in the three matches.
India’s next Test cricket series is away in Australia, with the first of five matches starting on November 22.
Rohit said he was not at his best in the home series but knows what he needs to do.
Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Tom Latham said he was ecstatic to lead his team in a historic series win.
“To finally do it [win the series] here in Mumbai, we’re very happy,” Latham said in the post-match broadcast.
When New Zealand won the first match by eight wickets in Bengaluru on October 20, it was the visitors’ first Test match win in India since 1988.
They then sealed the series in Pune six days later, winning the second Test by 113 runs as India’s batting failed on a spin-friendly wicket.
Latham termed it an “all-round great team effort” across the three matches.
“Being able to adapt to each ground, different guys have stood up at different times.”
The visitors’ top-order batter, Will Young, who played at the one-down position in the absence of injured former captain Kane Williamson, was named player of the series for his 244 runs in the three Tests.
