In the second match of the three-match series, New Zealand beat India by 113 runs at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first. Devon Conway (76) got the team off to a fantastic start, helped by a strong partnership with Rachin Ravindra (65). Mitchell Santner (33) also scored a few runs at the end of the inning. On a turning pitch, New Zealand concluded their first inning with a solid 259/10.
With the ball for India in the first inning, Washington Sundar achieved his career-best on his comeback as he grabbed seven wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin also took three wickets.
The home team had not much to offer with the bat, as only Yashasvi Jaiswal (30), Shubman Gill (30), and Ravindra Jadeja (38) were able to get some runs. The side, which is known to play spin well, got dominated by the visitors and ended up with only 156/10.
For NZ in the first inning with the ball, Santner was the star as he got his first five-wicket haul, which ended up with 7/53. Glenn Phillips took two wickets, while Tim Southee got one wicket.
It was another good day for the Kiwis with the bat, as skipper Tom Latham (86) hung on from one end as wickets fell from the other. The captain smashed ten fours to help the team score quickly in the inning. Tom Blundell (41) and Phillips (48) both added runs in the latter stages of the inning to push the lead above 350.
In the second innings with the ball, Sundar achieved a four-fer, while Jadeja got three wickets and Ashwin got two.
While chasing 350 plus, the Indian side had an upbeat mentality, with Jaiswal (77) hitting superb strokes all over the field. While Gill (23) also contributed runs, a major partnership was required to get closer to the target. The likes of Sundar (21), Jadeja (42) and Ashwin (18) also got runs but it wasn’t enough to secure the win for India.
While defending in the final innings, Mitchell Santner once again stood tall and scalped six wickets. Ajaz Patel also grabbed two wickets, while one wicket was picked up by Phillips.
Mitchell Santner was adjudged Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling show. Following this win, New Zealand have won the Test series in India for the first time in history.
Scorecard:
New Zealand: 259/10, Overs 79.1, Devon Conway 76, Washington Sundar 7/59
India: 156/10, Overs 45.3, Ravindra Jadeja 38, Mitchell Santner 7/53
New Zealand: 255/10, Overs 69.4, Tom Latham 86, Washington Sundar 4/56
India: 245/10, Overs 60.2, Yashasvi Jaiswal 77, Mitchell Santner 6/104
