India’s Test dominance at home has been shattered by New Zealand, who secured their first-ever series victory on Indian soil in nearly 70 years. The crushing 113-run defeat in the second Test in Mumbai has exposed India’s vulnerability against quality spin bowling, particularly against Mitchell Santner.
Rohit Sharma, India’s captain, expressed disappointment after the loss, acknowledging that his team failed to respond to the challenges posed by New Zealand. “We failed to capitalize on certain moments and respond to those challenges,” Sharma said. “We didn’t bat well enough to get runs on the board.”
Santner’s dominance was evident throughout the match, as he claimed 13 wickets, including seven in the first innings. India’s batters, once considered the best players of spin bowling, struggled against Santner’s variations.
In pursuit of 359, India’s batting collapsed once again. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal (77) and Ravindra Jadeja (42) offered any resistance, as the hosts were bowled out for 245.
This defeat marks India’s first Test series loss at home since 2012-13, when England vanquished them. It is also only their fourth Test series defeat in their own backyard since the turn of the century.
The Kiwis’ victory has broken India’s string of 18 consecutive Test series wins at home. It is a significant achievement for New Zealand, who have been touring India since 1955 but had never been able to break the Indian citadel.
India will now look to salvage some pride in the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, they will need to address their batting frailties and find a way to counter Santner’s spin if they want to avoid a series whitewash.
