What happened the last time India played New Zealand in a Test at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai?
India are all set to clash with New Zealand in the third and final fixture of the ongoing Test series at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Black Caps have already secured an unassailable lead of 2-0, and registered their first Test series victory on Indian soil in nearly 70 years.
The first Test played in Bengaluru witnessed India failing to be potent in swing-friendly conditions amid overcast conditions. Meanwhile, the Pune Test saw them digging their own grave by rolling a rank turner. In particular, the batting collapse has been a major problem for India in the first two Tests.
The problem could be taken care of in the third Test, as Wankhede is expected to be boasting a sporting track. However, the underlying nature of the surface at this venue has always been welcoming to the batters, as seen in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final and IPL games.
On that note, let's take a look at what happened when India and New Zealand last played a Test in Mumbai.
India secured one of their biggest Test victories against New Zealand in Mumbai in 2021
India and New Zealand clashed in Mumbai in December 2021. Interestingly, it was also the final Test fixture of the series, with the first game in Kanpur ending as a draw.
The hosts won the toss and chose to bat first, which initially worked in favor of them. The duo of Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill (44) added a 80-run opening stand, before Gill was dismissed by Ajaz Patel.
The left-arm spinner managed to breach the defenses of veteran batters, Cheteshwar Pujara (0) and Virat Kohli (0) in quick succession. However, Agarwal went on to stitch together partnerships with other batters and slammed 150 off 311. Axar Patel contributed with a half-century, as India posted 325.
Interestingly, Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler to claim all 10 wickets in a Test innings after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble.
In response, New Zealand were stunned by the India bowling unit, as they were bundled out for just 62, giving away a massive lead of 265 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with four scalps for India.
In the second innings, India were off to a sublime start with impressive knocks from Agarwal (62) and Pujara (47). Thereafter, Gill (47), Kohli (36) and Axar Patel (41*) were the major contributors to lead India to declare on 276/7.
Chasing a mammoth target of 540, the visitors were already on the backfoot, losing Tom Latham (0), Will Young (20) and Ross Taylor (6) early. Although, Daryl Mitchell (66) and Henry Nicholls (44) tried well, they couldn't stop the inevitable, as New Zealand were all out for 167.
Ashwin and Jayant Yadav claimed four wickets apiece as India went on to secure a victory by 372 runs. Interestingly, this was the biggest margin of victory (by runs) for India, before they won by 434 runs against England earlier this year. Moreover, India reclaimed the top spot in the Test rankings after this victory.
Meanwhile, Ashwin registered his 300th Test wicket on home soil, and was also named the Player of the Series for his contribution of 70 runs and 14 wickets.