No, India's dominant series win did not come on turning pitches. The No. 1 slot had to be earned

To get to the pedestal of the World no.1 rank in Test cricket was an aim for this young team, one that they wanted to achieve over the course of this long home season. They have done it already, beating New Zealand 3-0 and replacing Pakistan at the top of those rankings.

Let it be said here that this victory has been achieved in a comprehensive manner. Everyone expected India to win this three-match rubber. But with the competitive pitches on offer in Kanpur, Kolkata and Indore, the contest ought to have been much closer. Yes, Virat Kohli’s team was pushed, but not nearly enough. And the utterly dominant wins – two of them coming within four days – underline how well-oiled this unit is currently.

Let it also be said here then that the series victory was well deserved. But the same cannot be said of the No. 1 rank. Yes, the cumulative results of the past four years are taken into consideration, and no, this is not about the "winning overseas" debate. Instead, it only speaks for the unpredictability of the table at the moment that this No. 1 rank has changed hands thrice in three months.

India have achieved it because they were within reach of Pakistan. Now, they must earn this tag for a longer period, and open up a sizeable gap with the chasing pack. With 10 more home Tests lined up in the next six months, this should be on top of their agenda.

Gauti's gritty knock

Gautam Gambhir isn’t an instantly likeable cricketer. How could he be, with that smirk on his face all the time, as though he is sneering at the world for no apparent reason? But it usually hides his true facet, and that is sheer determination. After all, how else could he have found it in himself to make an international comeback after two years?

When he batted in the first innings, it was apparent that he had changed his batting stance again. It was different from the one he had used as recently as IPL 2016. Probably he himself has lost count of how many times he has changed his stance. What is even more remarkable is that he has done it again at this late stage in his career, going back to the basics, all so that he can play Test cricket again.

It was no surprise then that he came out to bat on day four whilst nursing an injured shoulder. That New Zealand had sufficient time to collapse to a massive defeat on day four itself was largely down to the impetus he provided to the Indian innings once Murali Vijay got out.

Vijay didn’t get enough runs in this series. Dhawan didn’t fire in his one innings, and Rahul’s hamstring is still a bother. That half-century – the second quickest in his Test career – will stand Gambhir in good stead when the selectors sit down ahead of the England series.

If only New Zealand had batted at least as well as they bowled

“Winning the toss would be helpful, and then you certainly have to be at your best. It is important to spend time at the crease creating pressure, batting first if possible.”

It was a simple response from Kane Williamson when asked about what England and Australia (never mind Bangladesh) could do on their future tours here, if at all they are to challenge India in this current form. The honesty in his words reflected pertinently where New Zealand were beaten in each and every Test – at toss time.

Kohli spoke about the time factor in his declaration – that they were too far ahead in this match, like in Kanpur or Kolkata, to bother about the equation at all. India need to be put under that constraint. And any team’s best bet when faced with pitches that will surely turn on days four and five, and with R Ashwin pacing about like a predator, is to bat first and put up a decent score.

However, this doesn’t absolve the Black Caps’ batting line-up. They carried Martin Guptill for far too long. They were too dependent on Williamson to come good. Ross Taylor did absolutely nothing. Luke Ronchi needed to bat higher up the order, while BJ Watling needed to convert those starts. And including James Neesham in this last Test was necessary, but it messed up their balance as Neil Wagner had proven to be a better bowler.

For a better part of this series, their bowling did create pressure on the Indian batting. And yet, with the batsmen not putting their hands up, it didn’t work. The toss is not in anyone’s control, but England and Australia will do well to notice this solitary weakness in their hosts’ armoury.

The complete spinner strikes, and keeps striking

Thirteen wickets for 140 runs. Twenty-one five-wicket hauls in 39 Tests. Six ten-wicket hauls already. Twenty-seven wickets in this series. Seventh man of the series award, fourth on the bounce in a Test series. And anybody who believes that India played on rank turners against New Zealand series needs to get their eyes checked.

The numbers have started to add up – Ashwin is not only the best spinner in world cricket today, he is a complete spinner right now. At this stage in his career, Ashwin is a lot more than just a thinking bowler. He is revelling in his supreme powers at the moment, and in the knowledge that he can currently out-think any batsman in the world.

Tuesday, in Indore, was exhibition of this awareness. The pitch was only just starting to break up, evident in how Ravindra Jadeja was not yet getting full assistance. From the other end, though, Ashwin was unplayable. He didn’t do anything special, like in the first innings here or on a pacer-friendly wicket in Kolkata. Rather, he played up to the batsmen’s desire to play their shots as stone-walling for four sessions was out of the question.

The end result now leaves important questions. Where does Ashwin already rank among the all-time list of Indian spinners? How high can he climb? Just how many Test wickets will he finish with?

The answers should start trickling in by the end of this long home season.