MUMBAI, India (AP) — New Zealand secured a historic 3-0 victory in India as they won a dramatic third Test by 25 runs on Sunday.

Ajaz Patel won 6-57 to power the Black Caps to victory as they became the first visiting side to complete a clean sweep in a minimum three-Test series against India.

Glenn Phillips provided great support as he took 3-42 as India crashed to 121 all out in 29.1 overs shortly after lunch on the third day.

Rishabh Pant was the only resistance for the hosts with 64 off 57 balls, including nine fours and a six, but his counter-attacking half-century went in vain as India lost their last three wickets in four balls.

India’s previous worst performance was a 2-0 defeat to South Africa’s Hansie Cronje in 2000 in a two-Test series. The last defeat in a home series was against England – 2-1 in a four-Test series – in 2012.

Patel’s six wickets took his tally to 25 at the Wankhede Stadium in four innings. He bowled a record of 10-119 here in 2021 and finished that match with 14 wickets.

On Sunday, Patel finished with 11-160, passing England’s Ian Botham, who had taken 22 wickets at the same ground and was previously the most successful visiting bowler at any venue in India.

New Zealand won the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune by eight wickets and 113 runs respectively, setting a milestone in the first Test series in India, but a bigger achievement was to come.

Chasing 147 runs to avoid an unprecedented home series, India limped to lunch at 92-6, with only Pant’s half-century proving to throw a spanner in the works for New Zealand.

Pant put on 42 off 53 balls for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (6) to give India some hope of reaching the target after earlier slumping to 29-5.

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor run continued when he was caught on 11, chasing Henry with another ill-judged pull shot to be caught at midwicket.

Patel bowled Shubman Gill for one, leaving the batsman alone to hit back off stump.

The Sunday crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was stunned when Virat Kohli was given a slip in the next over.

Phillips then sent Yashasvi Jaiswal back for five, off lbw. Sarfaraz Khan (one) hit a full toss straight to the square leg fielder as India inexplicably collapsed.

Pant then led India’s recovery with some unorthodox shots, while Jadeja was vigilant for most parts.

Their partnership brought India back into contention before Jadeja was dismissed at short leg for six off 22 balls.

After lunch, Pant took India past the 100 mark and remained key to the final result for both sides.

In the 22nd he was caught via television review. He appeared to have given Patel an advantage but the on-field referee rejected it. New Zealand captain Tom Latham reviewed the match and replays showed there was a deflection from the bat to the pad, which looped and was collected by Tom Blundell.

Pant walked back dejected, after hitting nine fours and a six, in what had looked like a match-turning 35-run partnership with Sundar.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Sundar added 15 runs as the scoring dried up, before Phillips struck twice in the 29th over.

The all-rounder left Ashwin behind on a reverse sweep, with DRS detecting a weak glove touch. The next ball, Phillips bowled Akash Deep and left India on the brink.

Patel then created history when he bowled Sundar two balls later – India had collapsed, losing their last four wickets for 15 runs.

Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja took a second five-for in the Test as New Zealand were bowled out for 174 runs in the second innings.

The Kiwis had ended day two at 171-9 and could only add three more runs across 14 deliveries. Jadeja dismissed Patel for eight, caught out, for his 15th five-wicket return in Tests.

Jadeja finished with match figures of 10-120, his third ten-wicket haul in his 77 Tests.

New Zealand scored 235 runs in the first innings while India took a slim lead of 28 runs with 263 runs in reply.

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AP Cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket