New Zealand Captain Tom Latham on the Win:
A visibly proud Latham praised his side’s resilience and adaptability, especially Santner’s pivotal role. “Really special feeling. Proud to be in this position… Whole team effort and a clear example of everyone pitching in,” he said, lauding his team’s adaptability on both the challenging Bengaluru seam-friendly pitch and Pune’s dry, spin-assisting conditions.
Santner’s Outstanding Bowling Performance:
Santner, humble as ever, admitted the difficulty of the conditions but commended the Indian top order’s intent. “Felt a little harder this time… Every time I got a wicket, it felt a little better,” he remarked, grateful for contributing to New Zealand’s historic series win. Known more for his skills in limited-overs cricket, Santner showcased exceptional control and variations, helping dismantle the Indian lineup with his consistent length and pace adjustments.
India’s Struggle to Match New Zealand’s Discipline:
Indian captain Rohit Sharma reflected on the team’s performance, admitting the disappointment in not rising to the challenge: “Disappointing… Got to give credit to NZ – they played better than us.” India’s batting and bowling lacked the precision shown by New Zealand, and despite a strong comeback to restrict New Zealand to 259 in the first innings, India couldn’t match the visitors’ consistency on the second innings of the series decider.
Record-Breaking Defeat and Statistics:
This loss adds to India’s disappointing year with their most home defeats in a calendar year since 1983, tying with their 1969 record. Notably, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, India has suffered four home defeats in just 15 matches, a record shared with legends Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin, but only trailing MAK Pataudi’s nine. Additionally, India’s 18-consecutive home series winning streak, the longest for any Test side, came to an end with this defeat.
Glenn Phillips Reflects on New Zealand’s First Test Series Win in India:
Glenn Phillips, who was pivotal in supporting Santner from the other end, spoke about the team’s adaptability and praised the positive intent the Indian top order showed, especially Jaiswal’s aggressive start. Phillips credited Santner’s relentless bowling, saying it was crucial for the team to support his efforts to break India’s composure.
What’s Next for India?
India now heads to Wankhede for the final Test with hopes of salvaging some pride and making a comeback to secure at least one win in the series. Rohit emphasized the need for a stronger, collective performance, mentioning, “We will come out with better intent, better ideas, and better methods at Wankhede.”
New Zealand’s triumph is one for the history books, marking a seismic shift and a significant milestone in Test cricket. For India, this defeat serves as a wake-up call, reflecting the ever-evolving competitiveness of the international Test arena.
