India demolish Kiwis for biggest home win

MUMBAI: India thrashed New Zealand by 372 runs in the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium here to record their biggest victory by run margin and win the two-Test series 1-0. With this win, India also bagged 12 points in the World Test Championship 2021/23 standings.

The Indian spinners had reduced New Zealand to 140/5 in their second innings at stumps on the third day and they wrapped up victory in 43 minutres on the fourth morning, bundling out New Zealand for 167 runs in 56.3 overs to record a smashing win.

This is India's biggest win by run margin, bettering the 337-run victory registered against South Africa at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi in December 2015. This was also the seventh time that India have won a Test match by 300 or more runs.

Mayank Agarwal, who scored a fantastic 150 in the first innings and followed it up with 62 in the second, was adjudged the 'Player of the Match' while Ravichandran Ashwin was declared the 'Player of the Series' for his vital contribution of 70 runs and 14 wickets in the two-match series.

With New Zealand, who were shot out for 62 in their first innings, struggling at 140/5 in their second knock, India did not give the Black Caps any chances of a fightback as they just took 11.3 overs to settle the issue.

Off-spinner Jayant Yadav came up with a devastating spell as he claimed four wickets for 19 runs on Monday morning, getting the ball to turn sharply and extracting bounce.

R Ashwin claimed the other remaining wicket, getting Henry Nicholls out for 44. Nicholls was Ashwin's 300th victim at home and he is now the second most successful bowler at home, behind Anil Kumble (350).

Ajaz Patel, who remained not out on zero without facing a ball, ended up getting another record -- the best bowling spell in a losing cause.

The 30-year-old Mumbai-born left-arm spinner, who became the third bowler in the history of the game to take all 10 wickets in an innings on Saturday, ended up with a match haul of 14/225.

The record was held by India's Javagal Srinath, who claimed 13/132 against Pakistan in 1999. Srinath incidentally is the ICC match referee for this match.

Brief scores: India 325 & 276/7 decl beat New Zealand 62 & 167 all out in 56.3 overs (Daryl Mitchell 60, Henry Nicholls 44; R Ashwin 4/34, Jayant Yadav 4/49) by 372 runs. IANS

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