NEW DELHI: Four innings, four batting collapses. India have rarely witnessed such a dismal batting performance on home soil. They scored 46 in the first innings in Bengaluru but slipped from 408/3 to 462 in the second.
Then came the first innings of the second Test in which they only managed 156. And just when it looked like the hosts had overcome their difficulties, another collapse followed.
How it happened
In their pursuit of 359, the hosts collapsed from 96/1 to 245, another batting error. India's 18-match unbeaten run at home ended in disappointment on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand.
With a 113-run win, New Zealand secured their first Test series win against India on Indian soil. The Kiwis had earlier won the first Test in Bengaluru by 8 wickets. The third and final Test of the series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from November 1.
This was India's first home defeat in a Test series since December 2012, when Alastair Cook's England beat them 2-1 in a four-match series.
Mitchell Santner's exceptional bowling played a crucial role in New Zealand's success as he constantly troubled the Indian batsmen throughout the game. His ability to spin and bounce off the surface made him a constant threat.
His outstanding performance, which included match figures of 7/53 and 6/104, highlighted the vulnerabilities of the Indian batting line-up on the turnaround track.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (77 off 65) gave India a blistering start to their fightback and took on the New Zealand attack with confidence and aggression. He shared a 62-run partnership for the second wicket with Shubman Gill (23 off 31), who was fielded by Santner and advanced to first slip. Soon after, Jaiswal, the standout player, also managed to get ahead of the first slip.
Virat Kohli (17), whose dismissal was the talk of the town in the first innings, faltered again and couldn't offer much resistance, although he started strongly with a backfoot flick for four.
Santner continued to hit as the pitch played into his hands, with some balls turning away from the bat and others holding their line, all thrown in consistent areas. Jaiswal, who was earlier beaten by the left-arm spinner, was unable to reach the height of the ball and edged towards Daryl Mitchell at slip.
India's woes deepened when Rishabh Pant (0) was ruled out after a miscommunication with Kohli. Sarfaraz Khan then fell on a ball that turned sharply and hit his off-stump as his bat hit the ground in defense.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin delayed the inevitable with a 39-run stand for the eighth wicket, but Mitchell Santner struck again, picking Ashwin for his sixth wicket.
Ajaz Patel then contributed with a few wickets as India bowled out the game on 245.