Jayant Yadav took three wickets in six deliveries Monday as India beat New Zealand by 372 runs in the second Test at Mumbai to win the two-match series 1-0.
India mopped up the New Zealand lower order within 40 minutes of play on day four at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a mammoth 540, the Black Caps were bowled out for 167 in 56.3 overs.
Ravichandran Ashwin finished with 4-34, while Jayant Yadav took 4-49. Axar Patel added 1-42 as India needed just 11.3 overs to complete the formalities, fully avenging its loss to New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship.
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“We discussed our performance in the Kanpur test. There was more bounce here and the fast bowlers got assistance as well,” India captain Virat Kohli said. “So it gave us a better chance to win this test.
“The aim is to take Indian cricket forward, working with the new team management. South Africa is a good challenge and we want to win there as a team.”
It was the largest victory for India by runs in Test cricket. Their previous best margin was 337 runs against South Africa in Delhi in 2015. It was also New Zealand’s biggest Test defeat by runs, eclipsing their 358-run loss to South Africa in Johannesburg (2007).
Resuming at 140-5, New Zealand lost its last five wickets for 27 runs. Henry Nicholls (44) and Rachin Ravindra (18) added 22 of those Monday. Overall they put on 33 runs for the sixth wicket.
Ravindra was out caught off Yadav in the 52nd over. Two overs later, he trapped Kyle Jamieson (0) lbw and then bowled Tim Southee for a duck two balls later.
New Zealand slumped from 162-5 to 165-8 in the space of 12 deliveries. Yadav then also got rid of Will Sommerville (1).
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Ashwin completed the win for India as Nicholls was stumped in the 12th over of the morning. The off-spinner was named man of the series.
“I enjoyed playing here at Wankhede honestly,” Ashwin said. “Every day there was something new and I could challenge both edges.”
He praised the “wonderful performance” of New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel who took 10 wickets in the first innings and 14 in the match.
“It doesn’t spin all the time in Wankhede and he used the seam and put the ball in the right places. There was a bit of destiny involved in his 10-for too.
“I would like to go to South Africa and win a series there. We haven’t done that before, and hopefully we can do it this time.”
India scored 325 and 276-7 and took control of the match on Saturday after bowling New Zealand out for 62 in the first innings.
Patel’s 10-119 was the other major highlight as he became only the third bowler in Test history after Jim Laker (England) and Anil Kumble (India) to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
“It was a disappointing performance from us,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said. “62 all-out would always have set us back.
“You always want to bat first here and it only gets worse for batting. It wasn’t how we wanted it to pan out. (But) it was a very special game for Ajaz (Patel).”
The first Test in Kanpur was drawn.
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