New Delhi, Dec 22 (NationPress) Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded the performance of New Zealand's pace bowler Jacob Duffy, whose impressive five-wicket haul on Day 5 of the concluding Test against the West Indies on Monday secured a 2-0 victory in the three-match series.

Duffy achieved figures of 5/42 in the second innings of the West Indies, leading to their dismissal for 138 while pursuing an almost impossible victory target of 462 runs.

Additionally, Duffy set a new benchmark for New Zealand, breaking the previous record of 80 wickets in a calendar year held by the legendary Richard Hadlee. With his third five-wicket haul of this series, Duffy will finish the year with 81 international wickets, establishing a new record for the Black Caps.

His total of 23 wickets in the series played a pivotal role in New Zealand's 2-0 series win, marking a robust beginning to their campaign in the World Test Championship.

“What a cricketer Jacob Duffy is becoming! The year 2025 has truly marked his emergence. He took 23 wickets at an average of 15.43, with a strike rate of 40.3, earning him the title of Man of the Series in the matches against the Windies. He is also currently the top-ranked T20I bowler, showcasing exceptional performance in T20s with 57 wickets at an average of 18.9, an economy rate of 7.89, and an impressive dot ball rate of 53.1 percent. At the age of 31, he is performing at his best. It was an extraordinary acquisition by RCB to sign him for a base price of 2 Cr. Truly a sensational coup,” Ashwin expressed on X.

On the fifth day at Mount Maunganui, Duffy spearheaded the attack, leading the hosts to a 323-run victory in the final session, turning what seemed like a draw at the start of the day into a remarkable win. He dismissed the top scorer, Brandon King (67), and swiftly dismantled the middle order, claiming the wickets of Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, and Roston Chase, conceding only seven runs between them. He also took the final wicket, sealing the win.