New Zealand’s Historic Test Series Win in India
Glenn Phillips Reflects on Victory
New Zealand achieved a historic victory by defeating India by 113 runs in the second Test of a three-match series in Pune, marking their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil. Glenn Phillips described the moment as “indescribable,” acknowledging the challenge of playing against India at home. He credited his experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for helping him adapt to Indian pitches.
Mitchell Santner’s Exceptional Performance
Mitchell Santner was the star of the match, taking two five-wicket hauls on a spin-friendly pitch. Phillips praised Santner’s brilliant bowling, which was crucial to New Zealand’s success.
India’s Struggles
India faced difficulties throughout the series. In Bengaluru, they misread the pitch and struggled against a strong seam attack. In Pune, despite favorable conditions for spin, Indian bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t find their rhythm. Washington Sundar, however, impressed with seven wickets on the first day.
New Zealand’s Batting Highlights
New Zealand’s innings were bolstered by half-centuries from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, setting a strong foundation. In their second innings, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, and Tom Blundell extended their lead, setting a challenging target for India.
India’s Response and New Zealand’s Triumph
India’s chase started well with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 77, but they couldn’t maintain momentum and were outplayed by New Zealand’s spinners, leading to a 113-run defeat. This loss marked India’s first home series defeat in 12 years.
Doubts Revealed
Test series -: A Test series is a set of cricket matches played between two teams. Each match can last up to five days, and the team that wins the most matches wins the series.
Glenn Phillips -: Glenn Phillips is a cricketer from New Zealand. He played an important role in New Zealand’s victory against India in the Test series.
Mitchell Santner -: Mitchell Santner is a New Zealand cricketer known for his bowling skills. In this series, he took many wickets, which helped his team win.
Pune -: Pune is a city in India where one of the cricket matches in the series was played. It is known for its rich history and culture.
Washington Sundar -: Washington Sundar is an Indian cricketer who performed well in the series, despite India’s loss. He is known for his all-round abilities in cricket.
Devon Conway -: Devon Conway is a cricketer from New Zealand who played a key role in their batting lineup during the series.
Tom Latham -: Tom Latham is another New Zealand cricketer who contributed significantly to their batting success in the series.
Home series loss -: A home series loss means that the team playing in their own country, in this case, India, lost the series. It was significant because India hadn’t lost a home series in 12 years.
