REPORT
Follow UsThe sun was shining to greet the fourth day's play but it was, once again, not the brightest of starts for India. Beginning the day 39 runs behind and top four batsmen in the batting order back in the hut, it was important for Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari to stay at the crease for as long as possible.
Instead, both of them departed within the first 20 minutes of the day's play, adding just four more to the overnight total. Rahane was the first to go edging a Trent Boult delivery to BJ Watling for 29. It was Boult's fourth wicket, all of them coming from around-the-wicket angle. Next over onwards, it was the Tim Southee show. He brought the ball in sharply to Vihari, going through his defence to clatter the ball into the stumps.
Southee also got rid of R Ashwin, wrapping him in front of the stumps, before finishing his morning spell to stay fresh for the new ball. With Rishabh Pant left as the only specialist batsman and the visitors still 21 runs behind, Ashwin's dismissal diminished any fight left in the Indian camp.
Pant was stuck with the number 9 batsman, Ishant Sharma, to put India into the lead. Colin de Grandhomme, who has bowled with immaculate control in the Test match with an economy rate of arpound1.7, trapped Ishant plumb in front of the stumps with India only a mere 6 runs ahead. Southee returned with the new ball and snaffled the remaining two wickets - Pant and Jasprit Bumrah - bundling out the visitors for 191 and a lead of only 8 runs.
Along with their bowling, New Zealand were also superb in the field. Boult held on to a brilliant catch of Pant at deep fine-leg. The substitute fielder, Daryl Mitchell, then took a one-handed catch in the slip cordon to complete Bumrah's dismissal.
Tom Latham and Tom Blundell knocked off the target of 9 runs in 10 balls completing a 10-wicket victory for the Kiwis rounding off a special moment in New Zealand's cricket history - 100th Test win.
Southee, with bowling figures of four for 49 and five for 61 was adjudged as man-of-the-match.
