New Zealand finally taste success in India after 13 attempts

India collapsed to their first Test series loss at home in 11 years when they lost to New Zealand by 113 runs in the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Ground in Pune.

India were set a target of 359 but folded for 245. They had lost the first Test in Bengaluru by eight wickets.

India had last lost a Test series at home in 2012-13, to Alastair Cook’s England, and following that the new spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja both ensured that the host won 18 Test series in a row.

India had lost only four Tests prior to this series since that 2012-13 loss to England under MS Dhoni. Two of these losses came against Australia – in 2017 and 2023, while two others came against England – 2021 and 2023. Barring these Test losses, India’s record was unbelievably good.

They had played 52 Tests and won 41 of them. Seven Test matches were drawn.

However, the Kiwis, who had not won a Test in 36 years prior to this series and had won only two Tests in India, led India to doom through spin with Mitchell Santner picking 13/157. Their first win came in 1969, in Nagpur, under Graham Dowling. That 3-Test series was drawn. They then won their second Test in 1988, in Mumbai, under John Wright who later on became India coach. That series was won by India 2-1.

So, this is the first instance of Kiwis winning a Test series in India.

In all, New Zealand have now played 38 Tests against India in India, losing 17 and drawing 17. They have now won four Tests, including these two.

They have now played 13 Test series against India in India, and this is the first instance of their winning it. They first played back in 1955.

Here is a list of the results from New Zealand’s tour of India:

1955-56: India won 5-Test series 2-0

1964-65: India won 4-Test series 1-0

1969: 3-Test series drawn 1-1

1976-77: India won 3-Test series 2-0

1988-89: India won 3-Test series 2-1

1995-96: India won 3-Test series 1-0

1999-00: India won 3-Test series 1-0

2003: 2-Test series drawn 0-0

2010-11: India won 3-Test series 1-0

2012: India won 2-Test series 2-0

2016: India won 3-Test series 3-0

2021-2022: India won 2-Test series 1-0

2024: New Zealand lead 3-Test series 2-0

Tags : New Zealand Cricket, India cricket, INDvNZ, Rohit Sharma, Pune, WTC25, World Test Championship