Team India clinch Test series 

​Kolkata : Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja spun India to an unassailable 2-0 lead and the No.1 ranking in Tests, pinning New Zealand down in a riveting see-saw four-day affair, to win the second cricket Test by 178 runs here on Monday. Local boy Wriddhiman Saha was adjudged Man of the Match for his unconquered 54 and 58 in the two Indian innings at the Eden Gardens.

Besides Saha, contributions with the bat by captain Virat Kohli (45) and Rohit Sharma (82) in the second innings helped India post 263 after a top-order collapse threatened to take the match away from them. But despite the visitors' grit early on in their 376-run chase, they fell to the guile of Indian tweakers once again -- similar to the first Test at Kanpur that they lost by 197 runs -- managing a meagre 197 in their seconds outing.

The tourists started their run chase well, riding on opener Tom Latham's (74 not out; 144 balls, 8x4) ninth half-century and contributions from Martin Guptill (24) and Henry Nicolls (24) at the top order. But post-lunch, the in-form Indian spinners ran through the Kiwi batting. Both Ashwin (3/82) and Jadeja (3/41) made mischief in tandem, joining in the party was the raw pace and swing of Mohammed Shami (3/46), who shaved off the lower order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/28) claimed the remaining wicket.

Latham departed soon after tea, starting the slide. Ashwin's mastery over his craft was on show as he floated an inviting delivery which forced the opener to drive away from his body giving a nick to wicketkeeper Saha. Mitchell Santner (9) and BJ Watling (1) followed suit in quick succession, Shami accounting for both the scalps.

Luke Ronchi (32; 60 balls, 4x4) fought briefly before Jadeja accounted for him, castling the 35-year old. Jeetan Patel (2) failed to replicate his first innings form, when he scored a gutsy 47, failing to comprehend the reverse swing generated from a good length ball by Buvneshwar. Matt Henry (18) and Trent Boult (4) were cleaned up by Jadeja and Shami, respectively. Earlier, resuming at 227 for eight, India were all out for 263 in their second innings.

Scoreboard: India 1st innings: 318; New Zealand 1st innings: 204; India 2nd innings: M Vijay c Guptill b Henry 7, S Dhawan lbw b Boult 17, C Pujara lbw b Henry 4, V Kohli lbw b Boult 45, A Rahane c Boult b Henry 1, R Sharma c Ronchi b Santner 82, R Ashwin lbw b Santner 5, W Saha not out 58, R Jadeja c sub b Santner 6, B Kumar c Nicholls b Wagner 23, M Shami c Latham b Boult 1; Extras: (B-10, LB-1, W-3) 14; Total: (all out in 76.5 overs) 263; Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-24, 3-34, 4-43, 5-91, 6-106, 7-209, 8-215, 9-251; Bowling: T Boult 17.5-6-38-3, M Henry 20-2-59-3, N Wagner 15-3-45-1, J Patel 8-0-50-0, M Santner 16-2-60-3; New Zealand 2nd innings: T Latham c Saha b Ashwin 74, M Guptill lbw b Ashwin 24, H Nicholls c Rahane b Jadeja 24, R Taylor lbw b Ashwin 4, L Ronchi b Jadeja 32, M Santner lbw b Shami 9, BJ Watling b Shami 1, M Henry c Kohli b Jadeja 18, J Patel b Kumar 2, N Wagner not out 5, T Boult c Vijay b Shami 4; Extras: 0; Total: (all out; 81.1 overs) 197; Fall of wickets 1-55, 2-104, 3-115, 4-141, 5-154, 6-156, 7-175, 8-178, 9-190; Bowling: B Kumar 12-4-28-1, M Shami 18.1-5-46-3, R Ashwin 31-6-82-3, Ravindra Jadeja 20-3-41-3