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Kiwis win two Tests in a row against India for the first time

By Mohandas Menon

** For the first time in 42 Test matches between the two sides New Zealand has won two Tests in a row against India.

** New Zealand's first innings score of 94 was its lowest total achieved while winning a Test match. Interestingly, its previous lowest was 100 also against India at Wellington in February 1981.

** Listed below are the lowest totals against India to win a Test match: 94 (1st innings) by New Zealand at Hamilton, December 2002; 100 (2nd) by New Zealand at Wellington, February 1981; 116 (1st) by Pakistan at Bangalore, March 1987; 127 (1st) by the West Indies at Delhi, November 1987.

** This match provided the 12th instance of a Test being competed without an individual fifty (the highest score being Rahul Dravid's 39). Only once before this has occurred on New Zealand soil — against England in January 1930 (highest score was the 49 by K.S. Duleepsinhji) at Christchurch, which incidentally was the New Zealand's first ever Test match.

** New Zealand became the fourth team after England (on three occasions), Australia and the West Indies to win a Test match without achieving a 50 partnership. New Zealand's highest partnership of the match was the 37 put on by Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan for the 3rd wicket in the second innings.

** Stephen Fleming's 32 in the second innings was the joint second lowest individual score achieved by batsman for a winning side. The lowest score still remains as the 22 by Australians Percy McDonnell and Jack Blackham against England at Lord's in 1988. Fleming now equals Billy Barnes (32 for England v Australia at Sydney in 1886-87) and George Gunn (32 for England v Australia at the Oval, 1890).

** The match aggregate of 507 runs for 36 wickets was the third lowest for a Test match involving India. The lowest still remains as the 482-31 at Lord's in 1936 and 487-29 at Manchester in 1952 - both against England.

** However this match produced the lowest match aggregate for this venue.

The March 2001 encounter between the home team and Pakistan produced 629 runs for 24 wickets.

** New Zealand's Mark Richardson (144 runs), and Indians Rahul Dravid (131) and Sachin Tendulkar (100) were the top run-getters during this series, while Daryl Tuffey (13 wickets), Shane Bond (12), Jacob Oram (11) and Zaheer Khan (11) were the top wicket-takers. Incidentally, Harbhajan Singh, who was the only spinner who bowled in the series, claimed five wickets, while Kiwi left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori did not get to bowl a single ball in both the Test matches.

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