On Sunday, January 18, Team India lost to New Zealand by 41 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore in the third one-day international of the three-match series. In the do-or-die game, the Kiwis scored 337-8, with Daryl Mitchell (137 off 131) and Glenn Phillips (106 off 88) hitting superb majors. Despite Virat Kohli’s brave 124 from 108 balls, the Men in Blue were restricted to 296 runs in the chase.
With their victory in Indore, New Zealand won the three-match one-day series 2-1. It was an outstanding team effort by a young team against a highly veteran Indian squad. They lost the first ODI in Vadodara by four wickets, but recovered well to win the second match in Rajkot by seven wickets. The Kiwis then dominated the decider on Sunday in Indore.
India’s ODI series loss to New Zealand at home was another low point for the squad during Gautam Gambhir’s time as head coach. In this piece, we look at five ‘unwanted firsts’ for Team India under Gautam Gambhir as coach.
1. First home series ODI rubpet to New Zealand
Prior to New Zealand’s triumph in the series which ended on a thrilling note, the Men IN Blue had never lost an ODI series in India against New Zealand. Prior to this, the Kiwis had played seven series’ in India which were bilateral and lost them all.
New Zealand had toured India for a bilateral series for the first time in 1988 and lost 4-0. India defeated the Kiwis 3-2 in 1995, 1999 and in 2016. In 2010 they are beat New Zealand 5-0. The Men in Blue defeated New Zealand 2-1 in 2017 and 3-0 in 2023.
2. First whitewash in a home Test series for India (Mininum 3 matches)
New Zealand has broken the hearts of Indian fans over the years across formats. They made history in November 2024 when they became the first team to whitewash India in a three-match (or more) test series in India. India lost a two-match series in 2000 to South Africa, by 2-0.
Australia 351 all out in 58 overs (Steven Smith 153, Glenn Maxwell 50; Will Somerville 4/35) vs New Zealand India lead the visitors by three runs with four wickets remaining as they shifted the momentum in their favour on Day Three of the first Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The hosts were dismissed for 46 in their Test first innings. New Zealand then went on to win the second Test at Pune by 113 runs. They completed a historic whitewash by winning the final Test in Mumbai by 25 runs.
3. First time India have missed WTC final This is the first occasion when India have failed to make the WTC final.
So far, Team India have not won the WTC. But to their credit, they did reach the finals of the first two editions – as runner-ups. They were beaten in the final by New Zealand in 2021 and by Australia in 2023.
Under Gautam Gambhir as coach, Team India did not reach the WTC final in 2025. They were in a very good position to make it to the summit clash for the third consecutive year. But their hopes were brutally crushed after the Kiwis’ 3-0 mauling, followed by another Test series defeat Down Under.
4. First ODI bilateral series defeat to Sri Lanka in 27 years
In August 2024, Team India lost the bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka for this first time in 27 years. The Lankans had won the series 2-0 in three-game rubber played at Colombo. The series-opening first O.D.I. was tied, but Sri Lanka triumphed by 32 runs in the second and wrapped up the series with a 110-run victory in the third.
Prior to August 2024, Team India’s last bilateral ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka had come back in 1997 when they succumbed 3-0 in an away series. This was India’s 13th consecutive ODI series without a defeat — they won 11 and drew two.
5. First Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss in 10 years It was also India’s first loss in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years.
It wasn’t until their 3-1 loss Down Under in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, that Team India couldn’t win this series any longer. But after India triumphed in the opening Test at Perth by 295 runs, it dropped three of the next four Tests to give up the series without a fight.
With the defeat India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten overs. Prior to 2024-25, Aussies were last defeated by India 2-0 in a Test series in the 2014-15 series Down Under. India took the next four editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. That run comprised two series victories in succession Down Under in 2018-19 and in 2020-21.
