Player of the Match
Player of the Match

India pool around a sign that says "Champions", with their series trophy, with plenty of people in Indore still sticking around to watch them enjoy themselves. They have been outstanding, packed the stadium on all five days of the Test. And this is why - The Test championship mace is being presented to Virat Kohli by Sunil Gavaskar

"I've got a few Man of the Match awards, so have the boys. This is much more special. The last time India got the mace, I was watching on Tv. The key right now is maintaining our game. We're working really hard on the areas needing improvement and we've been able to correct the wrongs quickly and we'd like to continue that and give the people what they want to see"

The team poses with the pace, signalling No. 1 with their finger. The support staff too join in. Flashes go off. Smiles shine bright. That's about as good a note as any to sign off. Thank you for your company and your wealth of opinion. Your jokes as well, they add to the fun when we're feeling harried by Ashwin and Jadeja bowling together and finishing an over in under a minute (#Ouch). We hope you'll come back when the ODI series starts against New Zealand on Sunday in Dharamsala, but for now, it's adios.

"Absolutely, couldn't have asked for anything better. The bowlers have responded beautifully every time we've been in pressure. Someone has always put up their hand. And that's the difference, this team is up, we get wickets in bunches, we have that attitude and we do get the results," Virat Kohli says, "We made it clear that the bowlers deserve to be in this position and it's time they express themselves. Don't hesitate in playing your shots. If you see Pujara hitting a fast bowler back over his head, it is the best example of expressing yourself. This is a proper team series win. It wasn't just one individual. You can leave Ash aside, he is not to be mentioned in the XI. Jadeja with the bat in the first game, Saha in the second, Rohit with those crucial knocks. We keen his numbers, we discuss his Man of the Series awards after every series. No. 6. No. 7... Credit to him I wish him well"

"That's fair, we knew coming in, it was going to be tough. We wanted to show better cricket than we did, but full credit to India. They outplayed us in all areas and we have to weather these wounds," Williamson says. "I suppose in this match, we can look at a number of areas we didn't do too well. India from the start outplayed us, getting such a big total. And we knew it would be a tough task batting on this pitch last. They're No. 1 in the world, a fantastic effort. The beauty of it is that we have a young side, and being exposed against the best bowling attack in the world is that we can learn. It's a shame we haven't done so quickly enough. It's tough to swallow, but the opportunity to learn playing against some of the best bowlers in the world in these conditions is a big thing"

5.00 pm R Ashwin is the Man of the Match "First things first, I would like to thank the crowd of Indore, coming out in large numbers. It felt like a Test from the 90s. It was a wicket where you had to work hard, be patient. there was a little bit of help outside the off stump, in terms of footmarks. Second innings, they helped us out with their shots. The reason we were slow was because he wanted to get them driving. There was not much bounce to get catches at short leg. I knew Boult was coming, and he'd give me footmarks, so I wanted them lunging out. I have to give special metion ot Shami, Bhuvi and Umesh, they got us a lot of wickets with reverse swing and Jaddu is a perfect foil. Virat had told me he was trying to rotate the bowlers, and it did help, Jaddu got the wicket of Guptill. I feel really good about myself and my confidence is sky high," he finishes up and goes to collect his seventh Man of the Series award in 14 series 4.45 pm New Zealand have lost nine wickets in one session. It's been a trend in the series; when they've let things go, they've let it go big time. And somewhere in there is a compliment to the Indian team. They've got the men to make that first incision, and then they make sure to burst through the gates. In Kolkata, they showed they could stay patient when those incisions didn't come quickly enough. And it was the fast bowlers doing the damage there. In Indore, at the venue's first Test, in front of crowds numbering above 18,000 per day, they were utterly dominant. India have sealed their place as No. 1 in the world with a 3-0 whitewash.

Twenty seven wickets for Ashwin in this series. Three-seventy-three runs for Pujara. Double-hundred from Kohli. Battling 188 from Rahane. Ticks would be crawling all over Anil Kumble's little black book.

Prashant : "Most wickets after first 39 Tests: 220- R ASHWIN 216- C Grimmett 208- Waqar Younis 206- Dennis Lillee 204- Dale Steyn"

"I think everyone has contributed, specially when we talk about the batting, starting from the top order, and contributions from the lower orde,r Ashwin, Saha, Jadeja. And then the bowlers, the fast bowlers too. It was a team effort," Pujara says, "The plan was to get as many runs as possible. So I thought I had to accelerate and we just wanted to bat one and half sessoins. Gautam was batting really well, I was asking him what to do, how to accelerate. It was a pleasure to watch. I am looking forward to the England series, First Test match at Rajkot [his home] just like Indore. And here I would like to thank to crowd for their massive support"

"I need to get the scan done later this evening [about the shoulder]," Gambhir says, "The important thing was intent, we wanted to get quick runs so we can have enough runs and overs to get them out. When you come into international cricket with runs under your belt in four-day games, it gives you a lot of confidence. We wanted to play normally in the first hour, but after that we wanted to get four and five per over which was not that difficult with the kind of fields they had for us. Pujara played unbelievably well. Making up after missing out two years, and getting a half-century in four years, it was sweet"

New Zealand, though, would feel quite glum to finish like this. They've battled hard against the heat, against high quality spin, all the way up to his last session of play where they just fell all over their feet. Awful shots. Spread out fields in the morning in an attempt to stem the runs, but that only enabled the batsmen to feel no pressure whatsoever. Ross Taylor's form has crumbled, and it was only in January that he smacked the highest score made by a visiting batsman in Australia. Kane Williamson has been worked over. Their spinners could not inflict as much pressure. There were some things that went against them; that India were able to get balls changed to get reverse swing and they couldn't and that some marginal umpiring decisions went against them. I can't quite see when they play Tests next - maybe at home against Bangladesh later in the year. The break should help them forget this and they need to forget this,

44.5
W
Ashwin to Boult, OUT, finishes it off, all by himself! Ashwin has a seventh - his best bowling in an innings, and in a Test match. Looped up to get him out of his crease and look for the drive. The ball dips on him though and it pops back. Watling throws his head down in disappointment. Coach Kumble is catching it all on camera, while the Indian dressing room explodes around him

TA Boult c & b Ashwin 4 (35m 27b 1x4 0x6) SR: 14.81

44.4
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, defended just outside off, with an open face. They exchange big smiles
44.3
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, ohhh, he's pulled off a bit of an all-along-the-ground-helicopter shot
44.2
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, plenty of turn there, he's back over the wicket, and looping the ball outside off. Boult moves across and stretches forward to block. Gets an inside edge onto pad
44.1
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, flighted outside off, from around the stumps, defended

Shantanu Kaushi: "Thats how to bat to save a test match.Too late but right way" They've got to last another half an hour to go to the fifth day. And with Ashwin and Jadeja bowling, there will be plenty of overs

END OF OVER:
44 | 4 Runs | NZ: 153/9

  • BJ Watling23 (64b)
  • Trent Boult4 (22b)
  • Ravindra Jadeja16-3-45-2
  • Ravichandran Ashwin13-2-59-6
43.6
4
Jadeja to Watling, FOUR, good length ball on middle, Watling gets his front leg outside the line and lap sweeps it to the boundary

Edward: "Boults played Ashwin better than anyone #positives"

43.5
0
Jadeja to Watling, no run, a little wider outside off, driven to cover
43.4
0
Jadeja to Watling, no run, good length ball on middle, defended
43.3
0
Jadeja to Watling, no run, good length ball on off stump, defended with bat in front of pad
43.2
0
Jadeja to Watling, no run, stretches out to block on middle and off
43.1
0
Jadeja to Watling, no run, pushed through on middle and leg, worked away to square leg

Here's Jadeja. So change of ends for both

END OF OVER:
43 | 5 Runs | NZ: 149/9

  • Trent Boult4 (22b)
  • BJ Watling19 (58b)
  • Ravichandran Ashwin13-2-59-6
  • Umesh Yadav8-4-13-1
42.6
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, shortish delivery, from around the stumps, Boult moves across and pads up outside off
42.5
0
Ashwin to Boult, no run, flighted on off stump, Boulty puts his leg down leg, then presents half a bat on off stump
42.4
1
Ashwin to Watling, 1 run, gets down low, waits for a second for the tossed up delivery to arrive, and then sweeps to deep square leg
42.3
4
Ashwin to Watling, FOUR, sneaks in a legbreak, and it goes short and down the leg side. Pulled away to the fine leg boundary
42.2
0
Ashwin to Watling, no run, good length ball outside off - doesn't turn that much though it was the proper offspinner - Watling is squared up as he defends from the crease
42.1
0
Ashwin to Watling, no run, tossed up outside off, defended with a good stride forward

Ashwin's back

END OF OVER:
42 | 1 Run | NZ: 144/9

  • BJ Watling14 (54b)
  • Trent Boult4 (20b)
  • Umesh Yadav8-4-13-1
  • Ravindra Jadeja15-3-41-2
41.6
1
Yadav to Watling, 1 run, fuller ball on leg stump, Watling gets the single he wants easily to take strike in the next over

moves around the stumps, with two men on the boundary square

41.5
0
Yadav to Watling, no run, full on leg stump, flicked to midwicket
41.4
0
Yadav to Watling, no run, good length ball on off stump, kept out

Clean sweep

4

No. of times India have whitewashed a Test series of 3 or more matches, including this. The last 3: vs Eng 1992-93, vs SL 1993-94 and vs Aus 2012-13.

Only the second

2

No. of India bowlers to take multiple ten-wicket hauls in any Test series, including Ashwin. First was Harbhajan vs Aus in 2000-01.

Ashwin again

4

No. of times Williamson has got out to Ashwin this series, in 4 innings. He faced 163 balls against other bowlers without getting dismissed; 91 balls v Ashwin.

Huge target

5

No. of higher targets set by India in Tests, than the 475 in this match. The highest they set was 617 also against NZ in Wellington in 2008-09.

Pujara in elite company

3

India No. 3 batsmen to score 4 50+ scores in a series of 3 or fewer Tests, including Pujara this series. Others: M Amarnath in Pak 1982-83 & Dravid in NZ 2008-09.

In-form Gambhir

5

Scores of 50 or more for Gambhir in first-class matches this season, in 7 innings. He had made 77, 90, 59, 94 and 36 in Duleep Trophy before this Test.

Race to twenty

2

No. of bowlers who reached 20 five-wicket hauls in fewer Tests than Ashwin's 39 - S Barnes in 25 Tests and C Grimmett in 37 Tests.

Prolific

5

No. of five-wicket hauls for Ashwin in Tests against NZ - most by any India bowler. Bedi, Gupte, Prasanna and Zaheer had taken four 5-fors vs NZ.

Neesham vs Ind

170

Runs scored by Neesham in his only previous Test against India - on his debut (33 & 137*, Wellington, 2013-14). He has got to a fifty in this Test.

Session of wickets

5

No. of wickets lost by New Zealand in the second session today. They had lost only one wicket in the first session.

First in a while

2013

Previous instance of an overseas opening pair adding a century stand in Tests in India - between Cowan and Warner in Mohali. This is the 1st such stand in 18 inns.

Opening high

55

The highest opening stand of the series before this - between Guptill and Latham in the 2nd inns of the Kolkata Test. The current stand is now the best.

Big total

2

No. of higher totals for India against NZ in Tests, than the 557/5 in this match. They had scored 583/7 in Ahmedabad in 1999-00 and 566/8 in Nagpur in 2010-11.