In a stunning turn of events, New Zealand triumphed over India in the second Test match at Pune’s MCA Stadium, securing an emphatic 113-run victory. With this win, New Zealand has clinched an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, marking India’s first Test series defeat at home since 2012. Despite a promising start, India fell short in both innings, struggling to match New Zealand’s resilience.
India’s Flop Show in the First Innings
Winning the toss, New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham chose to bat, leading his team to a total of 259 runs in the first innings.
Washington Sundar was exceptional with the ball for India, claiming seven wickets and restricting New Zealand’s score. However, the Indian batting lineup crumbled under pressure.
The Indian side, expecting a strong total, fell to 156 runs, trailing by 103 runs. Mitchell Santner was instrumental for New Zealand, taking seven Indian wickets and giving the visitors a crucial lead.
New Zealand Dominates the Second Innings
New Zealand’s batsmen shone again in their second innings, posting 255 runs on the board. Captain Tom Latham led the charge with a resilient 86, setting a challenging target of 359 for India.
In response, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal managed a valiant 77 runs, but with minimal support from the rest of the lineup, India collapsed at 245 runs.Mitchell Santner’s 5-wicket haul once again worked wonders for the Kiwis.
Glenn Maxwell’s Grateful Mention Of Virat Kohli In “The Show Man”
This defeat was compounded by New Zealand’s win in the first Test, which sealed India’s series loss and marked a historic achievement for the visitors.
New Zealand’s remarkable performances across both matches have secured them a significant place in Test cricket history, ending India’s long-standing dominance on home soil.
Team India Is No More Invincible
The Men in Blue’s dominance began after their Test series defeat in December 2012, when they were outplayed 1-2 by England. Since then, the Indian team has never looked back. The Asian giants went on to win 18 consecutive Test series at home—the longest winning streak by any Test nation—surpassing Australia’s record of 10 consecutive home series wins.
India also enjoyed an incredible unbeaten run in Test cricket from 2013 to February 2017, going 19 matches without a loss with only two draws. During this period, they secured their first-ever 4-0 series victory over Australia (Feb-Mar 2013) and defeated the world’s top-ranked South African team 3-0 in 2015.
Between 2013 and the Bangladesh series in 2024, India played 53 matches, winning 42, losing just 4, and drawing 7.
However, as they say, all good things come to an end. New Zealand ended India’s dominant run, breaking their 69-year drought by securing their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil. It was only India’s third home series defeat since 2000, and the first in 4,331 days.
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