IND vs NZ: India suffer 3-0 Test series defeat at home for first-ever time as New Zealand script 25-run win in Mumbai

Team India suffered a 3-0 Test series defeat for the first-ever time at home after New Zealand scripted a 25-run win in the third Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. India failed to chase down a total of 147, being dismissed for 121 runs in the run chase.

Rishabh Pant (64) fought a lone battle in the chase. Apart from Pant, only Washington Sundar (12) and skipper Rohit Sharma (11) managed double figure scores. Ajaz Patel, who had taken 10 wickets in an innings against India in Mumbai in 2021, returned to haunt the hosts with figures of 6/57. Glenn Phillips registered figures of 3/42.

New Zealand had resumed from their overnight score of 171/9 in their second innings on Sunday. However, the Kiwis managed to add only three more runs to their total on Sunday and were all out for 174, which meant India needed just 147 runs to win this Test and avoid a series clean sweep, having already lost the three-match series.

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However, India’s batters never looked settled at the crease during the run chase. Rohit Sharma was the first to depart after he was struck by Matt Henry in the third over, and Shubman Gill followed suit an over later as he was cleaned up by Ajaz Patel. India lacked substantial partnerships during the chase, but Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant forged 42 runs for the sixth wicket that gave India a glimmer of hope.

Ajaz Patel once again did damage to break the partnership, as he removed Ravindra Jadeja with a length ball. Jadeja was looking to play on the on-side after getting on the backfoot. However, all he got was an inside edge towards Will Young at short leg, who made no mistake with the catch.

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With Jadeja gone, Pant had his task cut out with Washington Sundar. Pant got to his fifty off 48 balls in the the 20th over, but there were no real celebrations from the 27-year-old when he reached the milestone. And understandably so, because were in a huge spot of bother.

Pant hardly had anyone to support him at the other end, and he was eventually dismissed in the 22nd over after he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Ajaz Patel’s ball. The original decision was not out, and Tom Latham, the New Zealand skipper, signalled for a review. Pant was almost certain that the bat had hit his pad. Although the TV umpire Paul Reiffel did confirm that the bat had in fact hit the pad, he concluded that there was some deflection with the ball hitting the bat, which meant Pant was declared out.

Pant’s dismissal left India with a score of 107/6, and it was just a matter of time before the Kiwis wrapped up the game as well as the series. After Glenn Phillips removed R Ashwin and Akash Deep in the 29th over, Ajaz Patel provided the finishing touch to New Zealand with the dismissal of Washin7gton Sundar in the 30th over.