New Zealand has done something amazing which no one expected, at least not from the current New Zealand team. It has not been possible for any team in so many years to come to India and defeat Team India in a Test series, but New Zealand did it at a time when Team India was considered stronger than before. First in Bengaluru and then in Pune, New Zealand defeated Team India. Now the last match is going to be held in Mumbai, where on one hand there is an opportunity for the Kiwi team to create history, while on the other hand there is a challenge for Team India to save its honour. Although Team India has won many matches at the historic Wankhede Stadium, its record here is not at all one-sided. For New Zealand, this ground is very special in many ways.
The third and last match of the Test series will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from November 1. This will be the last chance for Team India where it would like to end the series on a better note by defeating New Zealand. At the same time, the New Zealand team, which has captured the series by winning 2 consecutive matches, would like to enter this match with more confidence and high spirits and register victory. If New Zealand does this, then it will become only the second team to come to India and clean sweep Team India, while it can also become the first team to win all the matches of the 3-match series.
How is Team India’s record in Wankhede?
Team India is already being heavily criticized for losing the Test series at home after nearly 12 years. In such a situation, nothing less than a win in Mumbai will not be tolerated, otherwise the embarrassment will be manifold. But is it going to be so easy for Team India? After all, what do the figures of Wankhede Stadium say? If seen, like most of the grounds in India, Team India’s victory figures in Wankhede too are high. Still, this is not at all one-sided. Team India has played a total of 26 Test matches in Wankhede Stadium in almost 50 years, out of which it has won only 12. That means less than half the matches have been won. Team India has lost 7 times, which is about 30 percent of the matches played. The remaining 7 matches have been draws.
This ground is special for New Zealand
The last match here was played 3 years ago in 2021 between India and New Zealand and that match was won by Team India. Still, this ground is special for New Zealand because two of the best moments in its history have happened here. If we talk about the 2021 Test only, in that match New Zealand’s left arm spinner Ajaz Patel had taken all the 10 wickets in the first innings and became only the third bowler in the history of cricket to do so. At the same ground, 36 years ago in 1988, it had registered its last win against Team India. After that, this time the Kiwi team came to India and won a test. By the way, 3 Tests have been played between India and New Zealand on this ground, in which 2 were for India and 1 for New Zealand. Now Team India will only hope that it can repeat the success of 2021.
