New Zealand 235 (Mitchell 82, Young 71, Jadeja 5-65, Washington 4-81) and 174 (Young 51, Jadeja 5-55, Ashwin 3-63) beat India 263 (Gill 90, Pant 60, Ajaz 5-103) and 121 (Pant 64, Ajaz 6-57, Phillips 3-42) by 25 runs
Apart from poor batting, of course, India were also left looking at a contentious DRS call from the third umpire Paul Reiffel. Pant had all the momentum with India taking six singles and two boundaries in the first two overs after lunch, but New Zealand managed to get a decision overturned in what appeared a desperate review. Pant had padded up to Ajaz after being beaten in the air, was given not-out on a bat-pad catch, the third umpire on first viewing seemed to be ruling that the murmur of UltraEdge came from the bat on the pad. Eventually, though, a possible deflection after the sound signature convinced the third umpire to overrule the on-field call.
Take nothing away from Ajaz, though. Born in Mumbai, representing New Zealand, having taken an all-10 on his previous trip, Ajaz was having an ordinary series when he came into the final Test. Even though he found his groove post lunch on day two, taking five wickets in the first innings, even though he had taken three early wickets in the second innings, he was playing a different Test against Pant.
At the moment of the Pant wicket, Ajaz had bowled 167 balls to rest of India for 112 runs and nine wickets, but 41 balls to Pant had gone for 75 runs. Pant was in the middle of an audacious effort that defied the treacherous conditions, asked for by the team management and duly delivered to them.
The problem with batting on such tracks is the vast margin for errors bowlers have. Even if you bowl a rank long hop, you can protect the boundaries with in-out fields because the ball comes off the pitch at varying pace. Pant’s genius lay in still managing to manipulate shots enough to beat the deep fielders. A swivel almost onto the stumps to hit squarer. A collapse onto the knee to sweep finer. Almost always sweeping himself off his feet to impart that extra bit of power. All this while maintaining an 84% control rate at lunch.
When Pant was not on strike, though, Ajaz was unplayable. Ever since lunch on day two, he bowled perfect lengths and carried it into the second innings. He bowled on a good length, drawing forward-defence from the batters without letting them reach the pitch of the ball.
Shubman Gill left one alone without covering the line of off, leaving himself open to the vagaries of the pitch. The ball didn’t turn, and took the off stump out. Virat Kohli was a sitting duck as he defended and edged into the big mitts of Dary Mitchell at slip. Ravindra Jadeja, who earlier completed his third career 10-wicket match haul and added 42 with Pant, finally got one that turned too much and was caught at bat-pad. Only Sarfaraz Khan’s wicket was a gift because of the gremlins in the minds. His two-ball innings consisted of two premeditated sweeps to what were otherwise boundary balls. One a single, and the other a full toss helped straight into deep midwicket’s welcoming hands.
The openers fell to Matt Henry and Phillips. Rohit Sharma seemed like he wanted to get ahead of New Zealand while the roller’s effect was still fresh after New Zealand refused to get the pitch rolled as their last wicket added three runs to the overnight lead of 143. Two boundaries came, but the third attempt was to a ball not short enough, and Phillips caught the top-edged pull at midwicket.
Phillips, who has far exceeded expectations as the second spinner of the side, continued the good work by not bowling any bad balls, and was duly rewarded by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw on the forward-defence.
Pant, though, was playing a different game. His first thought was a boundary, then running, and then defence. He opened his account with a flat six back over Ajaz’s head. That forced Ajaz to bowl quicker and shorter to him, getting India a set of two bye boundaries. His reverse-sweeping got rid of short fine leg, and benefitted him when he top-edged a sweep precisely there.
After losing Jadeja, he found the boundary two times in the last two overs before lunch to bring up his fifty and leave India hopeful of a miracle. Post lunch, New Zealand sat back. Six singles in the first over. Two fours in the second. Then came the desperate review, which turned it around for New Zealand again.
Tom Blundell found something to celebrate with a superb catch off the R Ashwin glove on the reverse-sweep. Phillips found a moment to celebrate all the hard work when he bowled Akash Deep through the gate. Fittingly, Ajaz ended it all as Washington Sundar tried to slog him with not many options left.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo
