New Zealand completes historic 3-0 sweep in India with resounding victory

:New Zealand completed an unprecedented 3-0 series sweep in India as the Black Caps dismissed the hosts for 121 on a tricky wicket to secure a 25-run win on day three of the third and final Test in Mumbai on Sunday.

The last time India were eliminated at home was in 2000, in a two-match series against South Africa, and Rohit Sharma’s side will feel the pressure ahead of a challenging five-match series against Australia starting later this month .

Rishabh Pant was the only Indian batsman to show resistance as he made a sublime 64 after the hosts were reduced to 29-5 on a spinning Wankhede Stadium track.

Man-of-the-match Ajaz Patel claimed 6-57, his second five-wicket haul of the match, while fellow spinner Glenn Phillips took 3-42 to help the hosts bowl again for a famous victory.

“It’s very special, first of all, to win a Test match here at this historic ground, but also to win a series 3-0,” said Daryl Mitchell, who scored 82 in the first innings.

“It’s something you dream about. To come here and actually achieve it is pretty special against a world-class Indian team.

“…We’re just a bunch of Kiwis who want to conquer the world.”

The tourists won the opening match in Bengaluru by eight wickets for their first Test win in India in 36 years, and ended the series in Pune with a 113-run victory.

India’s first New Zealand series win, dating back to 1955, also broke the home run of 18 straight wins since the 2-1 defeat to England in 2012.

Sharma struck the first blow by stepping out of his crease to hit Matt Henry for a four in the day’s opener, but the skipper’s disappointing recent form continued as he fell for 11 after a rash shot against the same bowler.

Patel made it two wickets in two overs when Shubman Gill, who had scored a whopping 90 in the first innings, left a ball to bounce off the stumps and departed for one.

Virat Kohli didn’t last long after arriving at the crease as he hit back Patel and slipped one to leave India in trouble 18-3 on a tricky pitch at the Wankhede Stadium.

The crowd fell silent again as Yashasvi Jaiswal was trapped five times by Glenn Phillips and Sarfaraz Khan hit a full toss from Patel straight to Rachin Ravindra in the deep on one.

Ravindra Jadeja steadied the ship alongside Pant in a 42-run stand, but a stunning catch from Will Young left India on the ropes at 71-6.

Patel dismissed Pant following a review from New Zealand after lunch, although the batsman appeared to suggest he had not made contact with the ball before it was taken.

The runs dried up after that and India collapsed, with Washington Sundar last over, looking to make it big.

“Losing a series, losing a Test match is never easy. It’s not easy to digest. But we didn’t play our best cricket and we accept that. New Zealand played better than us all the time.

“There have been a lot of mistakes that we have made, we accept that… As captain, I was not at my best in leading the team or with the bat.”

New Zealand earlier resumed their second innings at 171-9, but India needed just 14 balls to bowl out the Black Caps as Jadeja had Patel caught in the deep to finish with 5-55, having scored five in the first stanza.