Haren
Former Kiwi spinner Daniel Vettori said that New Zealand whitewashing India in the recently concluded Test series was one of the greatest moment in the Black Caps history.
“The expectation for any touring team that goes to India on these types of wickets is that it’s going to be incredibly difficult. We understand the challenge and in a lot of ways it’s just how are you going to compete against them,” he said to ESPNCricinfo.
“… given the history with two Test match wins in almost 80 years and a lot of trying. You have to go back to the great Sir Richard Hadlee’s era, and he could only get one win. So for this team to come here and get that first one and then to win a series is probably New Zealand cricket’s greatest,” he added.
The clean sweep against India in their own backyard was a highly unexpected result after the Kiwis themselves were thrashed 0-2 by Sri Lanka in the series prior. Add to that, an injury ruling out Kane Williamson from the series had made the task all the more difficult.
Ex-batter Ross Taylor added that even the country cannot seem to believe that it had happened.
“I think the way they played throughout the whole series … I think we hoped more than thought we were going to win. But a clean sweep – think it still hasn’t quite sunk in among the New Zealand public, probably for the players as well,” he said.
“After winning the first Test (in Bengaluru), it gave the team as well as the public some belief, but I don’t think even in our wildest dreams we imagined a clean sweep and such a convincing performance from Tom (Latham), Gary and the boys. This has to be the greatest New Zealand series win in Test cricket. No one has done it. South Africa have won a two-match series 2-0, but 3-0 in India, I don’t think anyone could see this at the start. So this surpasses the 2-1 Test victory in the ’80s against Australia,” he added.
