New Zealand beat India 3-0 in the three-match Test series© AFP
Former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor said they didn’t think of a 3-0 clean sweep over India in the Test series in their ‘wildest dreams’ as Tom Latham-led side completed a historic whitewash in Mumbai on Sunday. India lost their first home Test series since 2012 as New Zealand cruised to their first-ever series win over India. The visitors were on top in all departments across three matches of the series and kept Indian batters at bay on their home turf. Ajaz Patel (15) and Mitchell Santner (13) were among the wickets while Rachin Ravindra (256), Will Young (244) and Devon Conway (227) led the run-charts for the Kiwis to achieve the unimaginable.
“Like most of the country, I’m just in awe of the team. I think the way they played throughout the whole series… I think we hoped more than thought we were going to win. But a clean sweep – think it still hasn’t quite sunk in among the New Zealand public, probably for the players as well,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo.
The former batter added that the series win over India gave the home fans a much-needed boost in the rugby-crazy nation after the loss against Sri Lanka last month.
“Cricket is fighting for an audience (in New Zealand). It’s a rugby nation, now there’s an extra football league in our local competition, so cricket after losing in Sri Lanka, the press after that has changed around completely. I don’t think we’ve had scenes like this since winning the (last) World Test Championship and I think it just tells you how high the New Zealand cricket public holds the Indian cricket team and what it’s like to go and win over there.
“After winning the first Test (in Bengaluru), it gave the team as well as the public some belief, but I don’t think even in our wildest dreams we imagined a clean sweep and such a convincing performance from Tom (Latham, the captain), Gary and the boys,” he added.
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