India’s cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma , has suffered a historic and humiliating defeat at the hands of New Zealand, losing the Test series 3-0. This marks the first time in 91 years that India has been whitewashed in a Test series of three or more games on home soil.

India lost the third and final Test match in Mumbai by 25 runs after being bowled out for just 121 runs in the final innings. Prior to this, India lost the first and second Test matches to register a Test series defeat at home for the first time in 12 years. This was also the first time New Zealand won a Test series in India since they started touring this part of the world in 1955.    

The series whitewash is all the more shocking considering New Zealand was without their star batsman Kane Williamson , who was injured. Furthermore, the Kiwis had just suffered a 0-2 loss to a transitioning Sri Lankan team before coming to India. 

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India served New Zealand a win on the platter

India should have been able to pull one back. It wasn’t an unfair expectation, the chase was a mere 147 runs but it was on a track that looked like a minefield to the entire home line-up except Rishabh Pant (64).

On Sunday, all Pant needed or wanted was for someone to hang in there. Nobody seemed capable.

From Virat Kohli to skipper Rohit Sharma to Shubman Gill to Sarfaraz Khan, none looked to have learnt their lessons.

Five key wickets were lost for a mere 16 runs at the start of an embarrassing collapse with the Jogeshwari’s very own Ajaz Patel making them dance to his tunes for a haul of 11 wickets in the match.

The left-arm wpinner now has a staggering 25 Test wickets at the Wankhede in just two matches, making him the most successful overseas bowler at the venue after the great Ian Botham (22).

With this truly humbling result, the Indians were thrown off the top position in the World Test Championship points table. A spot in the final next summer, which once seemed quite certain, will now have to be fought for and that too quite vigorously.

Also Read: New Zealand Beat India In Mumbai By 25 Runs To Clean Sweep Series 3-0

It is the first time that an Indian team has been whitewashed in a three-match series. The last time India suffered a humiliation of this scale was more than two decades ago in 2000 when it lost 0-2 to South Africa.

(With PTI inputs)