New Zealand End India's 4331 Days Home Test Series Winning Streak, Clinch 1st Series In India In 69 Years

New Zealand beat India in the second Test of the three-match series and secured their maiden Test series win on Indian soil in 69 years.

Pune (Maharashtra):New Zealand under their new captain Tom Latham changed their fortunes as they secured their first-ever series win in India after an embarrassing 2-0 loss against Sri Lanka last month.

Winning the first Test, New Zealand registered their first-ever victory in India after 36 years and now they have ended India's 12-year-old Test series winning streak at home and recorded their first-ever Test series win in India in 69 years. They end India's record streak of 18 consecutive home series wins, becoming the first away team to win a men's Test series in India since England in 2012-13.

It was all about New Zealand in the entire Test match, especially, Mitchell Santner who picked fifers in both innings of the game and became the only second bowler to achieve this feat after former captain and legendary spinner Daniel Vettori, who has done this twice.

Santner claimed seven wickets in the first innings at the Maharashtra Cricket Association here and then picked up six scalps in the second. The track at Gahunje was condusive to spin and Santner with his flight and drift optimum use of the conditions on offer.

The last spinner to do it in a Test against India was Australia's Steve O'Keefe (6/35 & 6/35) at the same venue in 2017. It is for the first time that Santner has picked up 10 wicket haul in first class game.

In chase of an improbable 359 runs target, India lost the wickets of captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill fairly early in the innings. Gill was dismissed after edging a leading edge to slip off a ball that turned sharply. Shortly after, Yashasvi Jaiswal also fell victim to a catch, which slowed down the game's tempo.

Virat Kohli and Washington Sundar took a defensive approach, allowing the bowlers to gain the upper hand for the first time. Kohli was trapped LBW by an arm ball, and Rishabh Pant was run out without scoring shortly before that. Sarfaraz Khan was bowled out by a delivery that spun past his bat, leaving him looking perplexed. Washington then edged one to short leg, where Will Young took a sharp catch.

The partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin only delayed the invietable, but once the latter made the long walk back to the dressing room, it was the Kiwis all over. India were bowled out for a mere total of 245 runs. In the first innings they were skittled out for 156.

The third and final Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will become a dead rubber now.

NZ spinners with two five-fers in a Test

1. Daniel Vettori 5/62 & 7/87 vs Aus Auckland 2000
2. Daniel Vettori 6/70 & 6/100 vs Ban Chattogram 2004
3. Mitchell Santner 7/53 & 5/62* vs Ind Pune 2024