A forgettable IND vs NZ Test Series 2024 comes to an end for Team India, who suffered a historic whitewash at home, where a resilient knock from Rishabh Pant on Day 3 wasn't enough to deny New Zealand clinching the Mumbai contest. With hosts needing 147 to win, Pant stood tall for India, after India suffered yet another batting collapse, with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli adding 11 and one to the scoreboard, respectively. New Zealand spinners Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips turned the tide in their favour, where the duo clinched nine wickets between them, helping New Zealand become the first side to white-wash India 0-3 in India in a three-match series. Was Rishabh Pant Out or Not Out? Fans Cry Foul After Indian Batter’s Dismissal in IND vs NZ 3rd Test 2024.

Rishabh Pant's Majestic Onslaught On Kiwi Bowlers

Known for his fearless batting, Pant charged on New Zealand bowlers and paid no heed to the wickets falling around him, ensuring that India were in the hunt with half their side back in the dressing room. Pant took the aerial route mostly and slammed nine fours and one solitary six during his 57-ball stay, where the batter scored a scintillating 64 before Ajax Patel trapped the wicket-keeper batter leg-before.

Ajaz Patel Rocks India's Famed Batting Line-Up

India's woes against spinners continued as Ajaz Patel made merry on a turning Wankhede track. Patel enjoys bowling in Mumbai and has already taken over 20 wickets at the venue, which is the most for any overseas bowler in India at a single ground. Patel claimed his fifth five-wicket haul, scalping key wickets of Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Pant, and Jadeja. Interestingly, Patel became the second bowler to claim multiple 10-wicket hauls in India after Saqlain Mushtaq in 1999.  When Was the Last Time Team India Suffered a Whitewash in a Test Series at Home? Check Details Amidst IND vs NZ 2024 Test Series.

All-rounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar played a probing spell by Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips and added 15 runs, however, failed to prevent the inevitable. Ashwin's wicket opened the floodgates for New Zealand, as Akash Deep and Sundar were snarred up within a span of three balls, meaning New Zealand won the Mumbai Test by 25 runs, and thus notched up their maiden series win in India in red-ball format.

New Zealand heading into the third Test had gained an unassailable 0-2 lead winning the Bengaluru and Pune encounters.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 03, 2024 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).