NEW DELHI: Former England captain Michael Vaughan took to social media to praise New Zealand’s historic 3-0 Test series clean sweep over India on Sunday.
Vaughan described the New Zealand victory as ‘remarkable’ and emphasized the difficulty of a foreign team winning in India, noting the rarity of such a feat.
In a social media post, the former England captain was also critical of India’s batting against spin as the hosts suffered yet another collapse in their failed chase of 147.
“To win in India is incredible but to deliver a clean sweep is remarkable … has to be the greatest ever Test series victory … India now have a group of Batters that struggle like most teams against Spin,” he wrote on X.
Vaughan’s comments echoed a growing sentiment that India, once renowned for their dominance on spinning pitches, now face a significant challenge in countering quality spin, a point he believes New Zealand exploited to perfection in their landmark series victory.
This series defeat marked India’s first-ever 3-0 clean sweep loss at home and their first whitewash on home soil since South Africa’s 2-0 series victory in 1999-2000.
New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was the standout player, taking eleven wickets over two innings in the final Test in Mumbai and clinching the series for his team with a thrilling 25-run win.
Patel’s performance was crucial as he ran through India’s batting lineup on a tricky, spinning pitch, leaving the hosts struggling to chase a target of 147.
Rishabh Pant fought valiantly with a gritty 64, but his dismissal after lunch sealed India’s fate.
India’s vulnerability to spin was highlighted by the ease with which New Zealand’s bowlers dismantled the lineup.
Matt Henry’s early dismissal of Rohit Sharma set the tone, while Ajaz’s unerring accuracy removed key players like Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli cheaply.
