After losing the second and final Test in Christchurch, Team India faced a clean sweep in the two-match Test series against New Zealand. Before this, the Kiwis were outshined by ‘Men in Blue’ in the five-match T20I series as the hosts lost all five games; however, they made a comeback in the following three-match One-Day International (ODI) series by completing a whitewash over the visitors.
Despite the bowling-friendly conditions, Indian pacers failed to make their impact visible as compared to Black Caps bowlers. No Indian speedster touched the double-digit mark; their most successful bowler was Jasprit Bumrah, who could only pick 6 wickets in four innings.
On the other hand, New Zealand pacemen shattered the Indian batting line-up, with Tim Southee leading the charge. He claimed 14 wickets – most in the series. No wonder Southee was honored for his performance as the ‘Player of the Series’. His boon teammate Trent Boult also shimmered in the series as he took 11 wickets.
Kyle Jamieson, who was playing his debut Test series, picked up 9 scalps and finished as the third leading wicket-taker in the Test series.
Southee, who exhibited excellent swing bowling with the red ball, also achieved brilliance with the white-ball. In the three-match ODI series, he took four wickets and ended up as the third-highest wicket-taker. Also, Hemish Bennett claimed six scalps and reached second place with 4/64 being his best.
Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who only played two ODIs, performed exceptionally well. The leggie went on to take six wickets at an economy of 5.25.
When it comes to the shortest format, then Indian bowlers led the table. In the five-match T20I series, Shardul Thakur earned a maximum of eight wickets, followed by Bumrah, who claimed six. Thakur, however, was the third most expensive bowler in the series, giving runs at an economy of 9.81.
Bumrah, on the other hand, was the second least expensive bowler. He gave runs at an economy of 6.45.
New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi finished as the third-highest wicket-taker. He took six wickets at an economy of 7.30, with 3/26 being his best.
Top 3 wicket-takers in T20Is:
| Player | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Shardul Thakur | 8 | 19.62 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 6 | 21.50 |
| Ish Sodhi | 6 | 24.33 |
Top 3 wicket-takers in ODIs:
| Player | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 6 | 17.50 |
| Hemish Bennett | 6 | 33.16 |
| Tim Southee | 4 | 46.25 |
Top 3 wicket-takers in Tests:
| Player | Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Southee | 14 | 14.14 |
| Trent Boult | 11 | 19.36 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 9 | 16.33 |
