IND Vs NZ, Test Series: 10 Key Stats That Define New Zealand’s Historic Victory In India

New Zealand conquered the final frontier defeating India by 113 runs in Pune to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. It was a 13^th time lucky for the Kiwis who had previously won just two Test matches in India. While Rachin Ravindra and the pace attack were the stars of the show in Bengaluru, it was Mitchell Santner who turned on the heat on the helpful track in Pune. We look at 10 interesting and unusual numbers from New Zealand’s sensational win.

13 – New Zealand won a Test series in India on the 13th attempt

It was Lucky 13 for New Zealand as they won their maiden Test series in India on the 13^th tour of the country. They had lost 10 and drawn two series previously. In fact, New Zealand had won just two Test matches in India before their wins in Bengaluru in Pune. They had defeated India in Nagpur in 1969 and at the Wankhede in Mumbai in 1988.

18 – New Zealand ended India’s 18-series winning streak at home

New Zealand’s victory in Pune ended a world-record 18-series winning streak for India at home in Test cricket. India’s unprecedented run started with the 4-0 sweep against Australia in 2013 (under the leadership of MS Dhoni) and ended with the 2-0 win against Bangladesh in September this year. The streak ran for 11 and a half years and went through the rein of three captains – Dhoni, Kohli and Rohit.

6 – New Zealand became the sixth nation to win a Test series in India

New Zealand became the sixth nation to win a Test series in India. England and West Indies have won five series each in India whereas Australia have won four. Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand have all won one Test series in India.

3 – The number of Test matches India has lost at home in 2024

India has now lost three Test matches in their own conditions in 2024 – England defeated them by 28 runs in Hyderabad in January before New Zealand’s twin wins in Bengaluru and Pune. Only twice before in their Test history has India lost three (or more) Tests at home – they lost four matches in 1969 and three in 1983.

4 – The number of Test match defeats for captain Rohit Sharma at home

Rohit Sharma has now lost four Test matches at the helmin India which are the joint second-most for an Indian captain at home. Tiger Pataudi is at the top of the list with nine defeats followed by four in 20 Tests each for Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin. Rohit has lost four in 15 Tests.

13/157 – Santner produced the third-best bowling figures in India for a visiting bowler

Mitchell Santner bamboozled the Indian batters with his spin and accuracy and returned with 13/157 in Pune. They were the third-best bowling figures in a match by a visiting bowler in India in Test cricket after Ajaz Patel (14/225 in Mumbai in 2021) and Ian Botham (13/106 in Mumbai in 1980). They were also the third-best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler in a Test after Richard Hadlee (15/123 in Brisbane in 1985) and Ajaz Patel (14/225 in Mumbai in 2021).

1/100 & 0/53 – The second-worst bowling figures for Ashwin in a match & the second-worst figures for Jadeja in an innings at home in Test cricket

R Ashwin picked just one solitary wicket conceding 100 runs in 18 overs in Bengaluru – these were his second-worst bowling figures in a home Test where he has bowled at least 10 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja did not pick a wicket in the first innings in Pune and gave away 53 runs in his 18 overs. These were his second-worst bowling figures in an innings at home in Test cricket.

Ashwin and Jadeja have taken a combined 12 wickets in the series so far at an average of 40.5 and strike rate of 66.17!

28.9 – Batting average of India’s top 3 RHB vs left-arm spin in Asia in the last 3 years

India’s right-handed batters have struggled against left-arm orthodox in Asian conditions in the recent past. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have been dismissed against left-arm spin 34 times in 75 innings in the last three years in Asia at a poor average of 28.9! Kohli has the worst average (24.6) amongst the three against left-arm spin in this time-frame. Rohit has faced 49.6 balls per dismissal against left-arm spin in this period which is the worst ratio amongst the three batters.

Santner dismissed Rohit in the first innings in Pune while accounting for Kohli and Gill in both the innings. A number of slow left-arm orthodox bowlers have troubled the famed Indian batting line-up in India in the last decade or so.

Monty Panesar bagged 11 wickets in England’s 10-wicket win at the Wankhede in 2012, Steve O’Keefe returned with 12 in Australia’s 333-run win in Pune in 2017, Ajaz Patel took a perfect 10 at the Wankhede in 2021, Matthew Kuhnemann had figures of 5-16 in 9 overs in the first innings in Indore which Australia won by nine wickets and last but not the least Tom Hartley ran through the Indian line-up and picked a seven-wicket haul in England’s 28-run win against India in Hyderabad earlier this year.

37.9 vs 45.2 – The bowling strike rate of New Zealand and Indian spinners in the series

New Zealand spinners have picked a combined 21 wickets in Bengaluru and Pune at an average of 25.66 and strike rate of 37.9. Their efforts include two fifers and one 10-wicket haul. On the other hand, their more famous Indian counterparts have underperformed. Although they have a higher tally of 26 wickets in the series, the dismissals have come at an average of 27.92 and strike rate of 45.2 with one fifer and ten-wicket haul.

1056 – Jaiswal’s record-breaking aggregate in India in Tests in 2024

One of the big positives for India, even in a humiliating loss against New Zealand at home, is the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The left-hander counter-attacked New Zealand in the fourth innings in Pune and smashed
77 off just 65 deliveries in a knock which included nine hits to the fence and three over it. Jaiswal now has an aggregate of 1056 runs in 9 Tests (17 innings) in India in 2024 – that is the highest aggregate for an Indian batter at home in a calendar year!