New captain, fresh talent: Five talking points from India v N.Zealand / Photo: © AFP
New captain, fresh talent: Five talking points from India v N.Zealand
Tom Latham's New Zealand completed a 3-0 Test sweep of India after the tourists won the third match by 25 runs in Mumbai on Sunday.
AFP Sport looks at the five key takeaways from New Zealand's maiden series win in India that left home fans in shock.
- Latham makes his mark -
Tom Latham, who took charge as New Zealand's full-time Test captain after the team's 2-0 Test series defeat in Sri Lanka, presided over an immediate turnaround in their fortunes.
Latham led the team to an opening win in Bengaluru after New Zealand bundled out India for 46.
Latham scored 86 in the second Test to set up another memorable victory for the tourists, taking on and beating India at their own game of spin.
- Santner spins a web -
Mitchell Santner was the unlikely hero in the second Test as he bamboozled India with his left-arm spin to give New Zealand an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Santner took his first five-wicket Test haul in the first innings in Pune and returned figures of 7-53, including bowling Virat Kohli with a full toss.
He then took six wickets to bowl out the hosts for 245 second time around.
Fellow left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel proved his worth in Santner's absence in the final Test, when the Mumbai-born new Zealander claimed five wickets in the first innings.
- Quick pair prosper -
India opted to bat on a cloudy second morning after the first day was washed out in the opener in Bengaluru, only to make heroes of New Zealand fast bowlers William O'Rourke and Matt Henry.
The pair shared nine wickets to skittle India out for their lowest Test total of 46 at home.
O'Rourke, 23, and Henry, 32, shot out five Indian batsmen for ducks, including Kohli, who fell to O'Rourke.
Coach Gary Stead called his quick bowlers "outstanding" and said they had "put India on notice".
- Sundar completes spin trio -
Washington Sundar was a last-minute inclusion in the Indian team ahead of the second Test, but made an instant impact with a 7-59 on Pune's opening day.
The tall off-spinner, who came in as a replacement for Kuldeep Yadav, completed India's spin trio led by veteran Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who have more than 800 Test wickets between them.
India went on to lose the Pune match, but 25-year-old Sundar was included in the team's Test squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.
- Youngsters give India hope -
With question marks over the form of veterans such as Rohit Sharma and Kohli, India's younger players -- including Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, Shubman Gill, 25, and Sarfaraz Khan 27 -- showcased the country's talent pool.
Sarfaraz made the team in the opener in place of an injured Gill, and smashed 150 in a dramatic fightback, retaining his place for the following two Tests.
Left-handed opener Jaiswal, made his presence felt in the second match with an attacking 77 in India's chase that faltered after his departure.
Gill hit 90 in the first innings of the final match and then Rishabh Pant hit a valiant 64 in the second innings.
(O.Agard--LPdF)
