The ICC World Test Championship Final is just a couple of days away and we cannot wait for the action to begin. Which side are you on? The mighty Indians or the Kiwis?
We can't be sure of what's coming for us in the future but we can only hope that we see an enthralling 5-day action without knowing the result until the last day.
However, do you remember how the sides fared in their last five test meetings? Which team gets on the pitch on the 18th with an upper hand? That is why Cricwizz brings you a detailed recap of how the last five test encounters between India and New Zealand turned out.
India vs New Zealand (February 21-24, 2020)
The first Test of India's Tour of New Zealand was played at Wellington. India were batting first and it wasn't the start they would've wanted.
Not a single batsman managed to cross the fifty mark and it was a very underwhelming performance by an Indian side that surely had the potential to do more.
Ajinkya Rahane was India's top scorer in the innings with 46 runs, while Mayank Agarwal scored 34 as India collapsed at 165. The skipper, Virat Kohli scored only two runs.
For the Kiwis, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson were the picks of the bowlers. Both of them picked four wickets each, but it was the veteran Southee who bowled more overs, with a marginally better economy.
It was then New Zealand's turn to bat and they batted really well, putting up 348 on the board. When one skipper failed, the other pouched as Kane Williamson fired a phenomenal 89, building the innings with Ross Taylor, who scored 44. Towards the end, Colin de Grandhomme and Kyle Jamieson scored 43 and 44 respectively, adding valuable runs to an enormous total.
Indians showed slight progress when they came on to bat, scoring 191 runs in all, with only Mayank Agarwal scoring a half-century. The likes of Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane failed to make a concrete impact. Consequently, New Zealand were handed a target of just nine runs as New Zealand went ahead in the series and also in our head-to-head count.
India-0 New Zealand-1
India vs New Zealand (February 29- March 2, 2020)
The second and final test of the series was held at Christchurch. The Indians were batting first again but this time managed to score 242. Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Hanuma Vihari scored 54, 54, and 55 runs respectively but Shaw and Vihari did it way faster than Pujara.
Kyle Jamieson was once again New Zealand's star performer with the ball as he picked five wickets in just 14 overs, disrupting the high-profile Indian batting side. New Zealand started off brilliantly with Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, with both scoring 52 and 30 runs respectively. However, the rest of the Kiwi batting was halted by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami as they picked three and four wickets respectively.
India got a lead of seven odd runs in the third innings but their batting was once again disappointing as they were all out for just 124. This time it was Tim Southee and Trent Boult who took the Indian batting down as New Zealand were asked to chase only 132 runs.
Once again, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell broke the shackles and destroyed the slightest of hopes of the Indian supporters. Both scored 52 and 55 respectively and that was enough for the Kiwis to whitewash the Indians at home. Feeling sad Indian fans?
New Zealand double their lead.
India-0 New Zealand-2
India vs New Zealand (September 22-26, 2016)
The Indians were at their fortress as the first Test between India and New Zealand was hosted by Kanpur.
India were batting first yet again but this time we saw fireworks as they put 318 on the board. KL Rahul scored 32 before Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara's knocks of 65 and 62 respectively laid the foundation for a solid Indian total.
Failed performances from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were overshadowed by Rohit Sharma scoring a crucial 35, as he held the Indian batting after two quick wickets.
Along with him, Ravichandran Ashwin batted well too, scoring 40 with Ravindra Jadeja's 42 at the end putting India psychologically ahead in the match.
For New Zealand, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson took charge, scoring 58 and 95 respectively before Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner's 38 and 32 run innings got New Zealand not on level but close to India's total (262).
For India, it was the deadly duo of Jadeja and Ashwin who did the entire work, picking up five and four wickets respectively. India were ready to bat again and like last time, batted with intent and bettered their score tally, scoring 377 runs for the loss of five wickets as they declared with the Kiwis asked to chase a mammoth total of 434.
For India, the same names turned up again with the 50s from Murali Vijay, Pujara, Rohit Sharma, and Jadeja. In the fourth innings, New Zealand couldn't take the burden and stumble for just 236 runs. Ashwin was the star with the ball as he took six scalps and India won the first innings comfortably.
India open their account finally. India-1 New Zealand-2
India vs New Zealand (September 30-October 3, 2016)
It was the Eden Gardens that held the second test. India won the toss and elected to bat first. Indians batted exceptionally again as they finished the innings with 316 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara scored an astonishing 87 runs alongside Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 77.
Wriddhiman Saha also scored a half-century. It was New Zealand's turn to showcase their batting and they failed to match India's total as they were summed up to 204. Jeetan Patel was the top scorer for the Kiwis with 47, while on the other end, it was Bhuvneswar Kumar who caused the collapse, picking up a fifer.
In the third innings, India scored 263, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Saha performing. Kohli scored 45, Sharma scored 82, while Saha added 58. For the Kiwis, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, and Mitchell Santner picked three wickets each.
New Zealand had to chase 376 to win but they couldn't match India's dominant bowling. New Zealand failed to trouble India with anything, as they were all out for 197 runs.
For India, Shami, Ashwin, and Jadeja picked three wickets each, while Tom Latham was New Zealand's lone performer with the bat as he scored 74.
Things are starting to get heated right? India level. India-2 New Zealand-2.
India vs New Zealand (October 8- October 11, 2016)
For the fifth time, India were batting first again but this time their batting was perhaps at the highest level. India scored a gigantic total of 557/5 and declared, with Virat Kohli scoring a double century alongside Rahane who scored 188.
New Zealand replied with 299 on the board with Martin Guptill scoring 72, while Tom Latham scored 53. After a middle-order collapse, James Neesham added more to the Kiwi total, scoring an important 71. For India, Ashwin rose to the occasion again, picking up six wickets. India came to bat again in the third innings and scored 216 for the loss of three wickets and declared.
New Zealand had to chase a huge total of 475 runs and the pressure was at its peak. They couldn't handle it and succumbed to 153, with Ashwin dismantling the Kiwis, picking seven scalps in the process.
Remember the score? India-3 New Zealand-2. What a comeback!! But the point to note here is that both teams have performed exceptionally at home. What makes the final more intriguing is that it will be played in England, a neutral venue.
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