New Zealand Scales This Generation's Everest
The match saw a total of 37 wickets fall to spinners, matching the record for the most wickets taken by spinners in a Test on Indian soil. The previous instance of 37 spinners' wickets occurred during a match in Nagpur in 1969, coinciding with New Zealand's first Test victory in India.
New Zealand made cricket history by becoming the sixth international team to secure a series victory against India in a Test series played in India. This achievement is remarkable given that this was New Zealand's 13th visit to Indian shores, where they had previously managed only two Test wins since their first tour in 1969. Their last victory in India dated back to November 1988.
Prior to this latest defeat, India had enjoyed an impressive run of 18 consecutive home series victories. Their last loss at home was during the 2012/13 series against England, which they lost 2-1 in a four-Test matchup. This streak is the longest for any team in bilateral series at home, with Australia holding the second-best record of ten series wins across two separate periods. Notably, India's recent performance included losing the first two Tests of a home series for the first time since 1999, when they faced South Africa.
As captain Rohit Sharma faced criticism, he recorded his fourth defeat in 15 Tests at home, tying him for the second-most losses among Indian captains. The record is held by MAK Pataudi with nine losses, while Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin both have four defeats.
Mitchell Santner was the standout performer for New Zealand in the series. His match figures of 13 wickets for 157 runs (7/53 and 6/104) marked the third-best performance by a New Zealand bowler in Test history. He joins the ranks of legendary bowlers Richard Hadlee and Ajaz Patel for their exceptional match figures. Santner also became the third bowler overall to take 13 wickets in a Test against India, joining Ajaz Patel and Ian Botham in this elite club.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, another highlight of the series, scored a remarkable 1,056 runs in the calendar year, setting a new record for the most runs scored by a batter in India. He surpassed the previous record held by Gundappa Viswanath, who had accumulated 1,047 runs in 1979. Jaiswal's achievement places him among a select group of batters, including Viswanath and Sunil Gavaskar, to score over 1,000 runs in a calendar year at home.
As New Zealand celebrates this significant milestone, it serves as a reminder of the shifting dynamics in international cricket, where established records can be challenged, and history can be rewritten.
