India suffered their first-ever home whitewash in a Test series with three or more matches when New Zealand beat them in Mumbai. But more than losing, New Zealand beat them - mercilessly.
New Zealand have dished out a few body blows to India in particular in the last few years – the 2019 World Cup semi-final and the 2021 World Test Championship final losses the worst of them. But even then, in discussions about it, there isn't the edge that might have been present had they been been landed by, say, Australia or England.
There's a slight air of - 'Well, at least it was only New Zealand that did it.'
But even now, after recording one of the most incredible cricketing, or even sporting, results in their history, New Zealand, as the saying goes, continue to fly under the radar.
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The behemoth that is Indian cricket dominates the news cycle: Their seniors are ageing, they've lost a home Test series for the first time in 12 years, they've been whitewashed at home for the very first time, their batters can't play spin, their bowlers can't take 20 wickets.
Much has been made of the hosts' missteps in this series, most of which is valid. However, the narrative that festers around this result makes it out to be that of a blundering giant, brought down by its own fatal flaws and nothing else.
But it would be disingenuous, cruel even, to suggest that New Zealand were simply the beneficiaries of an Indian disaster. As much as India may have shot themselves in the foot, the Black Caps shoved the gun into their hands.
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You'd be hard-pressed to find TikTok edits or Instagram reels of one of New Zealand's players in the "alpha male" or "walk the talk"-style that Pat Cummins features in after the 2023 World Cup. To call them understated is an understatement. In the modern era at least, they have been seen as nice and neutral, almost a (patronisingly) non-threatening presence.
They're everyone's second favourite team. They don't have stars with big egos, they love a laugh and they are, at least seemingly from afar, genuinely nice people.
"We're just a bunch of Kiwis taking on the world, and very proud to represent our country."
Those were Daryl Mitchell's words after the end of the Mumbai Test, which sealed that most historic of whitewashes. It was the perfect, stereotypical response of the modern Kiwi cricketer – quiet, measured, humble.
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But here's the thing – you don't just stumble into a 3-0 Test series whitewash on foreign shores, and you don't do it just by being nice and happy-go-lucky.
Something that's often said about the very best sporting professionals is that they have a competitive edge well beyond the comprehension of the average person, and that that comes with a big ego. It's not untrue, but it is antithetical to the idea and perception of New Zealand cricket.
For every Mitchell, there's a Tom Blundell, who said the following to SEN Radio after the second Test in Pune: "I think they had a slogan on TV saying five-nil for their home summer, or something along those lines. I’m pretty sure they wrote us off after our loss in Sri Lanka."
It betrays the notion that New Zealand's players were just happy to be along for the ride. They were here to compete, and they were here to win – just as much as anyone who displays it loudly and proudly.
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At every step of this tour, whenever India slipped up, New Zealand were there: right alongside, to take advantage. The hosts have made mistakes at home before – against England and Bangladesh earlier this year as well. They have not always been punished, and not in such clinical fashion.
But beyond the rather more abstract aspects of mentality and concentration, New Zealand had cricketing brilliance come from all corners of their squad.
They were far from an intimidating Test lineup when they landed in India. This is no unfamiliar sight. New Zealand lineups – much like a blanket that's a tad too small – always look like they have just something that's not quite covered. It's rarely, if ever, been said about a team of theirs that they have world-class talent through an entire playing XI.
This is somewhat understandable, given they're a sparsely-populated country where cricket is at best the second-most popular sport. The player pool is not wide at all.
Against this backdrop, maximising what's available to them becomes paramount. And New Zealand did that expertly.
