New Zealand pace attack on a high

New Zealand's fast bowlers took 20 wickets for the second time in three Tests, and were largely instrumental in the Auckland Test win

S Rajesh

09-Feb-2014

Shikhar Dhawan pulls, New Zealand XI v Indians, Whangarei, 1st day, February 2, 2014

New Zealand's 40-run win in Auckland is their first against India since 2002, when they won by four wickets in Hamilton. It's their tenth overall against India, of which eight have been at home. The margin of the result is the narrowest, in terms of runs, in Tests between these two teams - the previous closest result was 60 runs, when India beat New Zealand in Mumbai in 1969.

For India, this is their 10th defeat in their last 11 away Tests, since the beginning of the tour to England in 2011. In the same period, they have a 11-2 win-loss record at home.

MS Dhoni has led India to 11 defeats in overseas Tests, the most by any Indian captain. Under him, India have lost 50% of their overseas Tests, winning five and drawing six. The previous record for most overseas defeats for an Indian captain was ten, by Sourav Ganguly (in 28 Tests), Mohammad Azharuddin (27 Tests), and MAK Pataudi (13 Tests).

New Zealand's win was fashioned by their fast bowlers, who took all 20 wickets in a Test for the second time in their last three matches - they'd also taken 20 in the innings victory against West Indies in Wellington last year. Overall in their Test history, New Zealand's quick bowlers have taken 20 in a Test match only 12 times. In their last three Tests, New Zealand's pace bowlers have taken 59 out of 60 wickets; the only wicket to have eluded them is that of West Indies No. 11 Tino Best, who was dismissed by Ish Sodhi in the first innings in Hamilton.

Over the last few months, New Zealand's fast bowlers have been in outstanding form. In their last eight Tests they've taken 118 wickets at an average of 24.75, and a strike rate of 48.8 balls per wicket. During this period (since May 2013), only Australia's fast bowlers have a better average - they've taken 148 wickets in ten Tests at 23.80.

Team-wise stats for fast bowlers in Tests since May 2013
Team	Tests	Wickets	Average	Strike rate
Australia	10	148	23.80	51.8
New Zealand	8	118	24.75	48.8
South Africa	4	46	27.95	65.9
Zimbabwe	2	29	28.10	69.1
England	12	147	29.72	52.5
Sri Lanka	5	44	33.20	64.9
India	5	49	33.77	58.1
Pakistan	7	56	34.85	72.6
West Indies	5	21	61.61	89.2
Bangladesh	4	4	173.00	285.0

The result also means no team has won a completed Test after trailing by more than 300 in the first innings. The only such result was in the forfeited game between England and Pakistan at The Oval in 2006, when England trailed by 331 in the first innings. In a regular, completed Test match, the highest first-innings deficit a team has overcome is 291, by Australia against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1992. The next-best is by India, who won after trailing by 274 runs against Australia in Kolkata in 2001.

India's total of 366 is their seventh-best fourth-innings total, and their fourth-highest in a loss. Their highest in a defeat is 445, against Australia in Adelaide in 1978.

Shikhar Dhawan has become only the fourth Indian opener - after Mushtaq Ali, Sunil Gavaskar and Wasim Jaffer - to score a century in the fourth innings of a Test. He is the second, after Gavaskar, do so in an overseas Test. Gavaskar achieved the feat four times, all in away Tests - in Barbados, Port-of-Spain, Brisbane and The Oval. Dhawan's score is the ninth-highest by an Indian batsman in the fourth innings.

Neil Wagner's match figures of 8 for 126 are his best in a Test; his previous-best was 7 for 116 against Bangladesh in Mirpur last year.

Shikhar Dhawan Neil Wagner India New Zealand New Zealand vs India India tour of New Zealand

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter