Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
Reactions to an incredible whitewash: New Zealand won three Tests in a single series for the first time. Who could have possibly guessed it would be like this? In one of the most extraordinary series results in Test history, the Black Caps swept India – who hadn’t lost a home series in 18 attempts – 3-0 after sealing a 25-run win in very spin-friendly conditions at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Tom Latham deserves huge praise for his leadership. Will Young’s twin fifties on a tough batting pitch and extreme Mumbai humidity will go down in New Zealand cricket folklore. Daryl Mitchell sent a remainder of how good he can be against spin. And, finally, Ajaz Patel stepped up in Mitch Santner’s absence, taking 11 wickets – including the final scalp – to seal one of the greatest triumphs ever.
On the other side, this is a humbling day for India. Heading into the series, they were expected to win 3-0 and make further strides in the World Test Championship (WTC). Instead, they dropped to second in the WTC standings, and now must deliver away to Australia starting later this month.
Fans have labelled this as one of the lowest points in Indian cricket. Such a dominant home record has been ended in the most incredible fashion against a nation who hadn’t won a Test in India since 1988 before this series.
Praise for New Zealand: Stunning display against the odds
The likes of Jarrod Kimber, Bharat Sundaresan, and Ian Bishop were in disbelief. “Amazing from New Zealand,” Bishop wrote on X. “A population of less than 6 million. No Kane Williamson. They have conquered an unenviable task, and both men’s and women’s teams have had an historic and proud few weeks.”
New Zealand supporters couldn’t believe it either. Weeks ago, they were soundly beaten in Sri Lanka. No one could have predicted this, but here they are. A superb performance.
Reactions: India criticised for poor performance after whitewash
India fans didn’t miss. They have been very critical of the team all series, with anger coming out in the Pune Test and even more so in Mumbai.
“Cricket truly is a humbling sport, isn’t it? Just months after our T20 World Cup win, we face a historic whitewash. That’s the beauty of this game! Bigger tests lie ahead with the Australia series & the way forward is to introspect, learn and look up!” wrote Yuvraj Singh on X.
