New Zealand came to India for the three match Test series as heavy underdogs, considering Black Caps recent series loss against Sri Lanka, absence of Kane Williamson and the fact that India hadn’t lost a home Test series since 2012. 

But the Kiwis stunned Rohit Sharma and company as they won the first two Tests of the series and become the first side to beat India at home in Tests in 12 years. Veteran Kiwi pacer Tim Southee recently admitted that this series is one of New Zealand cricket’s biggest achievement in the sport and took a jibe at Rohit Sharma and co. reminding them of their World Test Championship loss. 

Southee takes a jibe at India

The Indian cricket wounds are still fresh after their streak of winning 18 consecutive home Test series was snapped by New Zealand.  Tim Southee made sure that India doesn’t forget the magnitude of the achievement and rubbed salt in Rohit Sharma and his team’s wounds by reminding them of the World Test Championship final in 2021. 

New Zealand defeated India in the first ever World Test Championship final back in 2021, and according to Southee the latest series victory comes really close to that achievement. 

“I think you look back and it’s hard to go past the World Test Championship and winning the World Test Championship. But this is right up there, if not equal to that. I think it’s hard to go past those two. It’s certainly been a highlight of my career so far,” said Tim Southee in his chat to Cricbuzz. 

New Zealand lift World Test Championship Trophy after beating India | Image: AP

13th time lucky for New Zealand 

Before this Test series began, New Zealand hadn’t won a Test match in India for 36 years. When the Kiwis arrived, they arrived after losing to Sri Lanka 2-0 and missing their star batter and captain in Kane Williamson. 

But no one could quite have predicted that by the end of the series, New Zealand would have ended seven decades of agony and finally won a Test series in India in their 13th visit. 

Also Read | Cummins Ready To Silence India Once Again, Reveals Strategy To Win BGT

“It’s not lost on the guys at how special this achievement is. There’s been plenty of great New Zealand sides that have been here over the years that haven’t been able to do it. There have been plenty of great sides from around the world that haven’t been able to come here and achieve what we’ve done in the last couple of weeks,” added Tim Southee.

Also Read | Mandhana slams 8th ODI century as India seal series against New Zealand

New Zealand have a chance to whitewash India when they face in the third and final Test of the series at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 1st.