India Faces Historic Defeat Against New Zealand
In a surprising turn of events, India lost a three-match Test series 3-0 to New Zealand at home. This marked the first time a visiting team has whitewashed India in a series of three or more matches. Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed disappointment over the defeat, stating that the Rohit Sharma-led team was expected to win the series.
Third Test Match Highlights
In the final match, New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips spun a web around the Indian batters, leading to a 25-run victory. Despite a fighting half-century from Rishabh Pant, India was bowled out for 121 runs while chasing a target of 147.
Series Overview
The series began with an eight-wicket loss for India in Bengaluru. In Pune, India attempted a comeback but lost by 113 runs. Harbhajan Singh praised New Zealand’s performance, particularly under Tom Latham’s leadership, and acknowledged that both the captain and team members share responsibility for the defeat.
Key Performances
Ajaz Patel was a standout performer for New Zealand, taking six wickets in the final match. For India, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin delivered notable bowling performances, while Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant contributed with the bat.
Doubts Revealed
Harbhajan Singh -: Harbhajan Singh is a former Indian cricketer known for his skills as an off-spin bowler. He played for the Indian national team and was part of many important matches and series.
Historic Series Defeat -: A historic series defeat means that something happened for the first time in history. In this case, it means India lost a Test series at home to New Zealand for the first time in such a manner.
Whitewashed -: In cricket, ‘whitewashed’ means losing all the matches in a series. Here, India lost all three matches against New Zealand.
Ajaz Patel -: Ajaz Patel is a cricketer from New Zealand who plays as a spin bowler. He performed very well in the series against India, taking six wickets in one of the matches.
Rishabh Pant -: Rishabh Pant is an Indian cricketer known for his aggressive batting style. He scored a half-century, which means he made 50 or more runs in one of the matches.
Strategic Play -: Strategic play in cricket means using smart tactics and planning to win matches. New Zealand used good strategies to win against India in the series.