Tom Latham’s New Zealand team has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by winning the series against India 3-0, marking the first time any New Zealand squad has secured three Test victories in a single series, either at home or abroad. Prior to this series, New Zealand had managed only two wins out of 36 Tests in India, with their last victory on Indian soil dating back to 1988.
This series also marks another significant achievement: it is the first time New Zealand has won three consecutive Tests away from home. While they have won back-to-back away Tests five times before, four of those instances occurred in Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, with their only other consecutive wins outside of these nations being in England in 2021, where they triumphed in Birmingham and followed up with a win in the World Test Championship final against India.
In the final Test, New Zealand successfully defended a target of 147 runs, the second lowest ever for them in a fourth innings of a Test match. The only lower target defended by New Zealand was 137 against England in Wellington in 1978, which marked their first Test win against that nation. They also previously defended a sub-200 target in Asia against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2018, defending 176 runs with Ajaz Patel taking five wickets on his debut.
Lowest Totals Successfully Defended by New Zealand
| Target | Against | Venue | Season | Result Margin |
| 137 | England | Wellington | 1977/78 | 72 runs |
| 147 | India | Wankhede | 2024/25 | 25 runs |
| 176 | Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 2018/19 | 4 runs |
| 241 | Australia | Hobart | 2011/12 | 7 runs |
| 246 | England | The Oval | 1999 | 83 runs |
| 251 | Pakistan | Dunedin | 2009/10 | 32 runs |
India Faces Rare Home Defeat
India’s 0-3 defeat signifies a historic low for them, marking the first instance of being whitewashed in a home series of three or more matches. The only previous home whitewash occurred in 2000 against South Africa (0-2), with both series featuring matches at Chinnaswamy and Wankhede.
Also read: New Zealand tour of India, 2024
This defeat also marks the fourth time India has lost three consecutive home Tests, a first since 1976/77. Previously, they lost three Tests against West Indies in 1958/59 and against England in 1976/77. Additionally, India has now lost four home Tests in 2024, the joint highest in a calendar year, following a loss to England earlier in the year. Under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, the team has lost five out of 16 home Tests, placing him second for the most defeats as an Indian captain at home.
Also read: Evin Lewis Shines as West Indies Defeated England in 1st ODI
Notable Achievements by Ajaz Patel
Ajaz Patel’s performance at Wankhede was exceptional; he took 25 wickets at this venue, the highest for a visiting bowler in India, surpassing Ian Botham’s previous record of 22. Over his career, 29.4% of Patel’s wickets have come at Wankhede.
Most Wickets by a Visiting Bowler at a Venue in India
| Bowler | Venue | Wickets | Tests | Average |
| Ajaz Patel | Wankhede | 25 | 2 | 15.4 |
| Ian Botham | Wankhede | 22 | 2 | 10.86 |
| Richie Benaud | Eden Gardens | 18 | 2 | 14.83 |
| Courtney Walsh | Wankhede | 17 | 2 | 13.94 |
Ajaz Patel also achieved his tenth wicket haul in this series, joining an elite group of New Zealand bowlers—only the third to accomplish multiple ten-wicket hauls after Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori. Notably, this match featured a unique instance of both left-arm spinners taking five wickets in each innings: Ravindra Jadeja (5/65 & 5/55) and Ajaz Patel (5/103 & 6/57). This is the first occurrence of such an event in Test history.
Related
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
