Virat Kohli invites unwanted comparison with Sourav Ganguly after NZ Tests whitewash

India recently suffered a 0-2 series defeat in New Zealand which also halted their unbeaten run in the longest format of the game. After suffering a 10-wicket drubbing in Wellington, Virat Kohli and co. lost the next Test in Christchurch by 7 wickets. Notably, the series whitewash brought back memories of a similar defeat in New Zealand almost 18 years ago.

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New Zealand vs India: Virat Kohli’s 2020 defeat a reminder of Sourav Ganguly’s 2002 defeat

In December 2002, Team India (under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly) toured New Zealand for a two-match Test series. India lost both matches in 2002 to lose the series 0-2. Interestingly, their most recent defeat under Virat Kohli has statistically proven out to be similar to the whitewash India suffered 18 years ago. For starters, both were a two-match Test series and India were put in to bat by the home side on both occasions.

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New Zealand vs India: Statistical similarities between Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly’s 0-2 defeats in NZ

Additionally, India lost the first Test of both series by 10 wickets where the top score registered was 89. While it was Mark Richardson who scored a patient 89 (245 balls) in 2002, it was the Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson who scored a match-defining innings in 2020. Moreover, the opening match of both tours was played at the same venue, i.e. Basin Reserve in Wellington.  

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Meanwhile, India lost the second Test by 4 wickets in 2002 and by 7 wickets in 2020. The visiting batsmen struggled across all four matches as their average runs/wicket ratio was 13.37 in 2002 and 18.05 in 2020. The respective captains also had a torrid time as both Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli struggled to score runs. While Sourav Ganguly scored just 29 runs at an average of 7.25, Virat Kohli maintained a below-par average of 9.50 with his 38-run tally.

India vs South Africa 2020 to follow New Zealand vs India tour

India will now host South Africa in a three-match ODI series in March 2020. The series will be played between March 12 and March 18. It will be the team's last international assignment before the players break for the impending Indian Premier League (IPL 2020).

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