IND vs NZ: India suffers humiliating home Test series defeat against New Zealand

India faced a shocking series defeat at home, bowled out for 245 runs in their chase of 359 during the third day of the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday. This defeat marks India’s first series loss on home soil in 12 years, as the Black Caps clinched a historic 2-0 series victory— their first-ever series win in India.

Mitchell Santner was the standout performer for New Zealand, claiming 6 wickets for 104 runs, bringing his match haul to an impressive 13 wickets. Ajaz Patel added to India's woes by taking the last two wickets, including the crucial dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 42 runs, sealing the match with a 113-run victory.

India’s disappointing performance followed an eight-wicket loss in the series opener in Bengaluru, breaking their impressive streak of 18 consecutive home series victories since their last defeat to England in 2012. The team, now looking to regroup, will face New Zealand again in the final Test match in Mumbai, scheduled to start next Friday.

New Zealand's new permanent skipper, Tom Latham, expressed immense pride in his team's achievement. “It's a really special feeling. Very proud to be in this position,” Latham said. He praised the collective effort of the team, noting, “This game was a clear example of everyone pitching in when they needed to. I’m stoked for the guys.”

Latham further highlighted Santner's exceptional performance, adding, “When you come here, you always want to compete and put your best foot forward. We played fantastically well. Santner in that first innings was fantastic. To get a break and bowl the way he did, credit has to go to him.”

India had high hopes of a successful run chase, with their highest successful chase at home being 387-4 against England in Chennai back in 2008. However, the pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium proved challenging, with spinners causing chaos for the Indian batting lineup.

Despite a promising start with Yashasvi Jaiswal striking several boundaries and scoring 77 runs, India found themselves in dire straits after key dismissals. The situation worsened as Rishabh Pant was run out for a duck just after lunch, leaving India at a precarious 127-4.

Santner’s exceptional spell continued as he dismissed captain Rohit Sharma for just eight runs and trapped star batsman Virat Kohli lbw for 17 runs, signaling alarm bells in the Indian camp. Sarfaraz Khan, unable to replicate his previous heroics, was dismissed for nine runs after missing a low delivery from Santner, handing the bowler back-to-back five-wicket hauls.