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

Ajaz Patel took the Black Caps to victory with 6-57, becoming the first visiting team to record a clean sweep against India in a series of at least three Tests.

Glenn Phillips provided great support as he picked up 3-42 shortly after lunch on day three as India crashed to 121 in 29.1 overs.

Rishabh Pant was the hosts’ only resistance with 64 off 57 balls, including nine fours and a six, but his counterattack 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 Hansie Cronje’s South Africa in a two-Test series in 2000. The last defeat in a home series was against England in 2012 – 1-2 in a four-Test series.

Patel’s six wickets took his tally at Wankhede Stadium to 25 in four innings. In 2021, he compiled a record of 10-119 here and finished the game with 14 wickets.

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

New Zealand won the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune by eight wickets and 113 runs each, recording a groundbreaking first Test series win in India, but greater success was to follow.

Chasing 147 runs to avoid an unprecedented home series whitewash, India came to lunch on 92-6, with only Pant’s half-century proving a deciding factor for New Zealand.

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

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor streak continued as he was caught for 11 and chased Henry with another ill-advised pull shot that was caught at mid-wicket.

Patel bowled Shubman Gill for the first time, the batsman left the ball but the latter hit it back off stump.

The Sunday crowd at the Wankhede Stadium was stunned when Virat Kohli was caught at slip in the following over.

Phillips then sent back Yashasvi Jaiswal for five, 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 alert most of the time.

Their partnership brought India back into contention before Jadeja was dismissed for six off 22 balls in the short game.

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

In the 22nd game he was caught on television criticism. He appeared to have beaten Patel, but the on-field referee refused. New Zealand captain Tom Latham checked the ball and replays showed there was a deflection from the bat onto the face, which spun upwards and was caught by Tom Blundell.

Pant retired dejected after hitting nine fours and a six in what appeared to be a match-winning 35-run partnership with Sundar.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Sundar added 15 runs as the score dried up before Phillips scored twice in the 29th over.

The all-rounder had left Ashwin behind on a reverse swing, with DRS detecting a slight glove touch. On the next ball, Phillips bowled Akash deep, leaving India on the brink.

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

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

The Kiwis had ended day two on 171-9 and could only add three more runs off 14 deliveries. Jadeja dismissed Patel for eight without being caught for his 15th five-wicket return in Tests.

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

New Zealand scored 235 runs in their first innings while India scored 263 runs in reply to take a narrow lead of 28 runs.

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