Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel spearheaded a historic 3-0 Test series sweep against India, taking six crucial wickets in the third Test to secure a thrilling 25-run victory on Sunday. Chasing 147 to avoid a whitewash, India faltered, bowled out for 121 in just 29.1 overs on the third day at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Despite Rishabh Pant’s fighting 64, the Indian lineup crumbled under pressure.
Ajaz clinched the final wicket, dismissing Washington Sundar for 12, sparking wild celebrations as New Zealand celebrated their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil. This clean sweep marks a historic achievement, as it is the first time India has suffered a 3-0 defeat at home.
The last home series whitewash India endured was against South Africa, a 2-0 loss in 1999-2000.
Ajaz, born in Mumbai, ended the match with an impressive 11-wicket haul, continuing his legacy at Wankhede, where he famously took all 10 wickets in an innings in 2021.
After the loss, Indian captain Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment, acknowledging the 3-0 defeat.
“I was not at my best as captain in leading the team as well as with the bat,” a disappointed Rohit said.
“Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy… something that is not easily digestable. We didn’t play our best cricket, NZ played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we did. The first two Tests we did not put enough runs in the first innings. This game we got the 30 runs [28] lead and the target was chaseable. We failed as a unit. When you are chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board. That was in my mind and it did not come of. When it does not come off it does not look great,” Rohit said after the match.
“I go in with certain plans and those did not come off this series. We did not play our best cricket in these conditions and are facing the result of that. Pant, Gill, Washington showed how to bat on those surfaces. You have to be proactive, last three-four years we have been playing on pitches like that. This was an unfortunate series where we tried certain things that did not come off. Collectively as a unit we failed to perform,” the Indian skipper said.
