Picture Credit: NZC
India and New Zealand will be facing each other in the all-important World Test Championship final on the 18th of June in Southampton. New Zealand team started the World Test Championship by losing a Test to Sri Lanka and losing the Test series to Australia by 3-0 but thereafter won all the games against India, West Indies and Pakistan which helped them book a place in the final. Meanwhile, India displayed some terrific performance in the Test Championship cycle by defeating Australia on their own soil (2-1) and dominating against England earlier this year. However, it is important to note that the only series India lost was against New Zealand in the Test Championship.
Let us have a look at some facts from past Ind vs NZ Test matches :
Head-to-Head between them
Matches: 59
India : 21
New Zealand: 12
Draw: 26
- India have played 2 Test matches in Southampton and lost both games. Cheteshwar Pujara in 2018 became the 2nd Asian batsman to score a Test century after Kumar Sangakkara in Rose Bowl, Southampton ground.
- Brendon McCullum is the only New Zealand player to score a triple century in Tests. Interestingly, his innings came against India in 2014. Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling recorded the highest ever 6th wicket partnership in Tests in that game.
- Virat Kohli has smashed 773 runs against New Zealand in Tests at an average of 51.53 from 17 innings, including 3 centuries and 3 fifties, with the highest score being 211. Among current players, Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in the NZ-Ind Test series.
- India have won only 2 Test series against New Zealand outside Indian soil.
- Ian Smith's 173 remains to be the highest score a batsman has scored at number 9 or below in Test cricket. He smashed 173 vs India in 1990 at Auckland.
- Gautam Gambhir batted for 643 minutes against New Zealand in 2009. That is still the highest for an Indian player in SENA conditions.
Most minutes batted by an Indian batsman in SENA conditions:
Gautam Gambhir - 643 mins vs NZ in 2009
Rahul Dravid - 629 mins vs Eng in 2002
Sachin Tendulkar - 613 mins vs Aus in 2004
- Harbhajan Singh is the only player to smash two centuries against NZ in Tests while batting at number 8 (or) below position.
- Sachin Tendulkar's 217 (344) is the highest score by an Asian captain against New Zealand
Highest score by an Asian captain vs New Zealand in Tests
Sachin Tendulkar - 217 (344) at Ahmedabad, in 1999
Virat Kohli - 211 (366) at Indore in 2016
Hanif Mohammad - 203* at Lahore in 1965
- Four different New Zealand players have smashed a Test century against India while batting at number 8 to number 11 position, which is most for a team.
Players who scored a Test century vs India while batting at number 8 to 11 position (country-wise):
New Zealand
1. Bruce Taylor
2. Ian Smith
3. Daniel Vettori
4. Jimmy Neesham
Pakistan
1. Kamran Akmal (2 centuries)
2. Ijaz Faqih
3. Imran Khan
West Indies
1. Clive Lloyd
2. Robert Christiani
South Africa
1. Lance Klausner
Sri Lanka
1. Thilan Samaraweera