 "When was the last time Team India suffered a clean sweep in home Test series?")
Having already lost the series, Team India will look to bounce back with a consolation victory against New Zealand in Mumbai when the third Test gets underway on Friday (1 November). The consolation win could also help India move closer to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
After suffering an eight-wicket loss in the first Test in Bengaluru , which saw the hosts post their lowest Test total at home (46) , India failed to chase down a total of 359 in the second Test in Pune, eventually being dismissed for 245 .
India thus lost their first Test series at home since 2012, when they had gone down to Alastair Cook’s England. India, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni back then, had avoided a clean sweep as they had won the first Test before losing the next two and drawing the fourth Test.
IND vs NZ 3rd Test | Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai expected to offer vastly different pitch than Pune
Having said that, India will once again look to avoid a series clean sweep a dozen years later. When was the last time India were whitewashed in a Test series at home?
Last time India suffered Test series sweep at home
The last time India were clean swept in a Test series at home was during February-March 2000 against South Africa. South Africa had toured India for a two-match Test series which was followed by a five-match ODI series. This was also the only time India lost each match of the Test series at home.
This was the tour that was marred by the infamous match-fixing scandal, for which many players were handed suspensions and bans, including Mohammad Azharuddin, who was banned for life from cricket.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012, however, revoked the ban on Azharuddin, who was then elected the president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
IND vs NZ | Examining the way forward for Team India after abject surrender against Black Caps in Test series
Impact Shorts
More ShortsComing back to the Test series, India, led by Sachin Tendulkar, suffered a four-wicket loss in the first Test in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. India had elected to bat first in the Mumbai Test and managed to post only 225 on the board on the back of a knock of 97 from Tendulkar and an unbeaten 41 from Ajit Agarkar.
India restricted the Proteas to 176 in their first innings reply following a collective effort from the bowlers, which helped them take a 49-run lead. However, the hosts suffered a batting collapse in the second innings as they were bowled out for 113, with Shaun Pollock finishing with figures of 4/24. That meant the visitors needed just 164 runs to win.
Openers Gary Kirsten (20) and Herschelle Gibbs (46) forged a 51-run stand for the first wicket, and despite the Proteas losing wickets at regular intervals, Jacques Kallis (36*) and Mark Boucher (27*) ensured that they chased down the target without further trouble.
The second Test was played in Bengaluru and India suffered a similar batting collapse. Having opted to bat first, India were all out for 158, and South Africa responded to that by posting 479 on the board, following a clinical batting effort from the top and middle-order, barring Gibbs (4). That enabled South Africa take a 321-run lead heading into India’s second innings. Mohammad Azharrudin scored a fighting century but a majority of the other batters failed to convert starts, as India were eventually dismissed for 250. South Africa won the series 2-0.
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Let’s now take a look at the statistics pertaining to Test matches at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai ahead of the third India-New Zealand Test.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai statistics (Tests)
Matches played: 26
Matches won by India: 12
Matches lost by India: 7
Draws: 7
Top run-scorer at Wankhede Stadium: Sunil Gavaskar 1122 runs from 11 matches
Top wicket-taker at Wankhede Stadium: Ravichandran Ashwin 38 wickets from five Tests
Best bowling figures (Innings) at Wankhede Stadium: Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) 10/119 vs India, 2021
Best bowling figures (Match) at Wankhede Stadium: Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) 14/225 vs India, 2021
Highest individual score at Wankhede Stadium: Clive Lloyd (West Indies) 242* vs India, 1975
Highest team score at Wankhede Stadium: India 631 all out vs England, 2016
Lowest team score at Wankhede Stadium: New Zealand 62 all out vs India, 2021
Biggest Test win at Wankhede Stadium: India beat New Zealand by 372 runs in 2021
Smallest Test win (By runs) at Wankhede Stadium: India beat Australia by 13 runs in 2004
Smallest Test win (By wickets) at Wankhede Stadium: South Africa beat India by four wickets in 2000
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