Rating New Zealand's Test record against all Test-playing nations

New Zealand have had their fair share of renowned names donning the national colours in Test match cricket: from Sir Richard Hadlee to Martin Crowe; from Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori to the current generation of Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor. Though not the most consistent of sides since they began their journey at the highest stage, New Zealand’s zeal towards the game makes them one of the most passionate and competitive sides.

Sportskeeda looks back on their Test match records against each of the other Test playing nations so far.

Bangladesh

Played – 13, Won – 10, Lost – 0, Drawn – 3, Win Percentage – 76.92%

Expectedly, New Zealand have a far superior record against Bangladesh than almost all other teams. They have played each other only 13 times so far, but the last time that it had happened, in New Zealand in 2017, Bangladesh had racked up their highest Test total, albeit in a losing cause. New Zealand’s stalwarts, led by a composed Kane Williamson, marched to victory, but the visitors proved that they could compete even on the opposition’s soil despite falling on the wrong side of the 0-2 result.

Overall, three drawn Tests is the only compensation for Bangladesh, who gave New Zealand a scare at home in 2010 before the visiting captain Daniel Vettori started a rescue operation. It is hoped that they can repeat their performance against a strong New Zealand unit when they next meet in the longest format.

Zimbabwe

New Zealand had beaten Zimbabwe 2-0 in their own backyard in 2016 when the teams had last met in Tests

Played – 17, Won – 11, Lost – 0, Drawn – 6, Win Percentage – 64.71%

Yet another case of a lower ranked team hardly playing any cricket against an upper ranked one, Zimbabwe and New Zealand have faced each other in only 17 Tests, with 11 of them resulting in a New Zealand win. Winless even at home during their last encounter in a Test series, Zimbabwe were beaten 0-2 in 2016, both of them massive defeats handed over by the visitors.

Not all has been good in Zimbabwe cricket either to ensure the staging of cricket against the top flight teams nor has the side been at their best in whatever few opportunities they have got in the last few years.

Sri Lanka

New Zealand have won two and drawn one of the last three-Test series against Sri Lanka

Played – 32, Won – 14, Lost – 8, Drawn – 10, Win Percentage – 43.75%

New Zealand have maintained a brilliant record against Sri Lanka in Test match cricket, winning a brilliant 43.75% of their 32 matches. There was a time when Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas were neck and neck with Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond; and though Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle could not provide flying starts as Sanath Jayasuriya and company, New Zealand and Sri Lanka formed two evenly matched units.

But the recent past favours the Black Caps, who have not lost a Test series to Sri Lanka since 2009, winning two and drawing one of their last three series. Certainly, Kane Williamson and company hold a clear edge over Angelo Mathews and his group.

West Indies

New Zealand maintained a clear dominance over West Indies since the 1996 series between the sides

Played – 47, Won – 15, Lost – 13, Drawn – 19, Win Percentage – 31.91%

Undoubtedly a declining force in world cricket, the West Indies have found it difficult to go past New Zealand in the last few years. West Indies were unbeaten in a Test series between the sides in their first four series; then came a rare series win for New Zealand in 1980 before the West Indies started their dominance again, which lasted until 1996. But since then, only one series has seen New Zealand come second – a 0-2 clean sweep in the Caribbean in 2012.

The loss of big names like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Jerome Taylor has hurt West Indies, something which New Zealand have fully exploited in the recent past. A win percentage of nearly 32 is still only respectable, and New Zealand will hope to improve on it in the upcoming meetings.

Pakistan

New Zealand have improved their recent Test record against Pakistan, having lost neither of their last two series in 2014 and 2016

Played – 55, Won – 10, Lost – 24, Drawn – 21, Win Percentage – 18.18%

Contrasting to the West Indies, New Zealand have not found it easy against Pakistan in Test cricket. Out of the 22 series between the sides, the Black Caps have been victorious in only three of them - their 2-0 sweep at home in 2016 came after last winning a series in 1985, also at home. In the days of the great all-rounders Imran Khan and Sir Richard Hadlee, Pakistan always remained at the top with New Zealand hardly even managing a win over them.

But in their last two series – one in the UAE and another at home in 2014 and 2016, respectively – New Zealand seem to have found their form, winning three of the five Tests played and losing neither series as well.

India

India beat New Zealand 3-0 when they hosted the Black Caps in 2016

Played – 57, Won – 10, Lost – 21, Drawn – 26, Win Percentage – 17.54%

Only 10 victories in as many as 57 Tests against India do not make for good numbers, but New Zealand have had their moments against them as far as Test cricket is concerned - Brendon McCullum, the first from his country to a triple century in Tests, got that magical figure of 302 against India in 2014. But the only series which they have played since then saw India spin the visitors out 3-0 in a clean sweep in 2016.

However, India had failed to win a single international match on their tour in 2014 and were clean swept 0-2 in the Test series in 2002. Nevertheless, New Zealand do not boast of a good record against India, and a win percentage of only 17.54 speaks volumes of the scores that they need to settle.

Australia

In what was Brendon McCullum's farewell series, Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 in 2016

Played – 57, Won – 8, Lost – 31, Drawn – 18, Win Percentage – 14.04%

New Zealand’s trans-Tasman rivals Australia have never let them gain control – at least not in Test match cricket – and even in the most recent two series, played in either nation just months apart, Australia have kept their neighbours winless in the five matches combined. New Zealand’s last Test win over Australia came as far back as in 2011 when in an exciting Test at Hobart, the visitors were victorious by 7 runs.

New Zealand’s last series win over Australia was in 1990 when in a solitary Test at Wellington, they achieved a win by 9 wickets. In total, 57 Tests against Australia have brought them only 8 victories and a win percentage of just over 14 means they have faced tough times at the hands of their old rivals, who whitewashed them 2-0 in their own backyard in 2016, the farewell series of Brendon McCullum.

England

New Zealand had leveled the 2015 series against England with a scintillating win at Headingley

Played – 101, Won – 9, Lost – 48, Drawn – 44, Win Percentage – 8.91%

Without being harsh, New Zealand can be easily said to be having a sorry record against England. As few as merely 9 wins in as many as 101 Test matches is a far below par figure to show - in fact, that means New Zealand have not even won nine percent of their Tests against England - but can yet do some damage to take that number up north. In 2015, when the sides had last met, hosts England found it comparatively challenging to win at Lord's; and in the following match at Headingley, the visitors went a step further to level the series and share the honours after a scintillating display with both bat and ball.

They are due to meet again in less than a week's time with the Black Caps also staging two Tests - one of them will be a day-night affair, the first pink-ball fixture in the country - and New Zealand, though without Brendon McCullum this time, can be safely assumed to be a formidable unit at home despite their past poor record against England.

South Africa

New Zealand are yet to beat South Africa in a Test series either at home or away

Played – 45, Won – 4, Lost – 25, Drawn – 16, Win Percentage – 8.89%

With a win percentage even lower than that against England, New Zealand have a history of under-performing against South Africa, dating back to 1932. Yet to win a Test series against them - either at home or away - the last time that New Zealand managed even a draw against South Africa was way back in 2004, having lost all six series since. In fact, that was also the last time that they had beaten South Africa in a Test match.

Only 4 wins out of 45 is a shambolic record, to say the least, and with the previous two series not even featuring the likes of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis - one of them did not even have AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn - New Zealand let go an opportunity to capitalise and build on their performance against South Africa.