New Zealand won the first Test at Bengaluru by eight wickets and the second game in Pune by 113 runs.
And despite Pant’s 64 off 57, Ajaz and Phillips took nine wickets to defend 146.
India Loses to New Zealand in a Historic Test Series Whitewash
New Zealand did something unprecedented—a whitewashing of India in India throughout three Test matches or more—over the magnificent brilliance of Rishabh Pant. Pant took them from 29 for 5 to 106 for 6 with 64 off 57, but Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips got nine wickets between them to defend 146.
After collecting 11 wickets, Ajaz emerged as the most effective visiting bowler at a single Indian ground.
Apart from their poor batting, they would be worried about a questionable decision by the third umpire, Paul Reiffel. In the first two overs after lunch, India gave away two boundaries and six singles, with Pant holding all the initiative.
Review of Controversy: New Zealand’s Desperation Against Pant Finally Pays Off
However, New Zealand overturned a decision in a last-minute review. Pant padded up to Ajaz and took a bat-pad catch after being tossed around. On the first view, the third umpire appeared to be deciding that the bat on the pad was the source of UltraEdge’s whisper.
However, a possible deflection following the sound signature persuaded the third umpire to reverse the on-field call.
But do not take anything away from Ajaz. Ajaz, who hails from Mumbai and played for New Zealand, had an average series going into the last Test after taking an all-10 on his previous tour.
Taking five wickets in the first innings and three early wickets in the second, he played a different test against Pant while adjusting to a rhythm following lunch on day two.
Ajaz had bowled 167 balls to the rest of India for 112 runs and nine wickets when Pant was wessed, but 41 balls to Pant had gone for 75 runs.
Pant was in the middle of an audacious effort to defy the perilous conditions that the team’s management had requested and received.
Batting on such tracks has the disadvantage of giving bowlers a considerable margin for error. Since the ball leaves the pitch at different speeds, you can use in-out fields to guard the boundaries even if you bowl a rank-long hop.
Pant was still able to beat the deep fielders by altering strokes.
To hit squarer, a swivel nearly touches the stumps. He drops to the knee to achieve a more precise sweep. He nearly always sweeps himself off his feet to give himself that extra force.
Ajaz Patel’s Masters: Unplayable Bowling Leaves India Struggling
But Ajaz was unplayable when Pant was not on strike. After lunch on the second day, he kept delivering the correct lengths for the second inning.
Shubman Gill tamely exposed himself to the pitch’s mercy, leaving one player alone without covering the line.
The ball did not turn, resulting in the loss of the off stump. Virat Kohli was vulnerable as he defended and edged into Dary Mitchell’s massive paws at slip.
Finally, Ravindra Jadeja received one that turned too much and was caught at the bat pad. He had already taken ten wickets in his third career and added 42 with Pant.
The gremlins in the brains made just Sarfaraz Khan’s wicket a gift. Two deliberate sweeps to otherwise boundary balls made up his two-ball innings.
The welcoming hands of deep midwicket were immediately aided by one single and the other by a full toss.
Opening Stand: Phillips and Henry Set the Stage for New Zealand
Phillips and Matt Henry were the openers. When New Zealand would not roll the pitch, and their last wicket increased their overnight lead of 143 by three runs, Rohit Sharma seemed eager to push ahead of them as the roller’s impact continued.
Phillips held a top-edged pull at midwicket after two boundaries when the third try went to a ball not short enough.
Phillips has blown his job as the second-side spinner. He produced decent overs without a foul ball and was aptly rewarded when he caught a leg-before wicket on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s forward defense.
Pant, though, had other things on his mind. A boundary was his first reaction, followed by running and defense. Ajaz opened his account, a flat-six over his head.
India scored two bye boundaries because Ajaz had to bowl to him quicker and shorter. He capitalized when top-edged a sweep since his reverse-sweeping removed the threat of short, dinky legs.
The celebrations start when New Zealand makes history.
After losing Jadeja, he reached his fifty and left India, hoping for a miracle. He hit the boundary twice in the final two overs before lunch, and New Zealand relaxed after lunch.
The first had six singles, and the second had two fours. The frantic review that followed helped New Zealand turn things around once more.
A piece of magic by R. Ashwin off his glove could have celebrated further. If, on the reverse sweep, Phillips had a way of compensating with all the effort and ended it all for the batter trying to slog Washington Sundar with limited options, as that was the way this ball was going.
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