2 Mar 2020

Cricket: Black Caps trounce India

5:40 pm on 2 March 2020

New Zealand have won the second cricket Test against India by seven wickets, taking the series 2-0.

New Zealand's Tom Latham (R) makes runs on day three of the second Test cricket match between New Zealand and India at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 2, 2020. (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)

Photo: AFP

New Zealand needed just 132 for victory, after wrapping up India's second innings inside the opening hour of play.

Resuming on day three at 90 for six, the tourists lost their last four wickets in three quarters of an hour, with Trent Boult the most successful of the New Zealand bowlers taking 4-28 while Tim Southee took 3-36.

Openers Tom Latham and Tom Blundell put on a century opening stand and looked on course to knock off the target without the loss of a wicket, but Latham went for 52 with the score at 103 and skipper Kane Williamson followed shortly afterwards for 5.

Blundell brought up his half century but then fell soon afterwards for 55.

Tom Latham (left) and Tom Blundell enjoyed a century opening stand.

Tom Latham (left) and Tom Blundell enjoyed a century opening stand. Photo: Photosport

The Blacks Caps won the first Test in Wellington by 10 wickets and the two Tests are India's first losses in the World Test Championship.

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson said New Zealand's last Test of the summer was closer than it looked.

"I don't think the end result reflected on perhaps how tight that match was, because as we saw in both innings the ball going past the outside of the bat and it is such a fine line, but a fantastic series from our side in terms of the balance with the bat and the ball and the way the guys stuck at it, " Williamson said.

The India cricket captain Virat Kohli paid tribute to New Zealand's bowlers and was unhappy with the way his batsmen responded.

"When you sit down and look back at this series you have to also give credit to the New Zealand bowlers because they bowl in the right areas for long enough, created a lot of pressure and there were hardly any scoring opportunities so that meant you had to play extravagant shots to get runs," Kohli said.

Kohli laid the blame squarely with the batsmen following their series loss.

"There was just not enough done by the batsmen in this series for the bowlers to try and attack."

The Black Caps now head back to Australia for a three match one day series and won't don the white again until a two-match series in Bangladesh in August.

Look back on the match commentary: