India were prepared for all situations

The old adage that you don't win a Test in one session but can certainly lose it applied perfectly around the time Virat Kohli took over as captain in January 2015. During a stretch of just away Tests, they competed well but kept losing their way.

In Durban, they went from 265 for 4 to 334 all out on a flat pitch and never recovered. In Auckland, they nearly pulled off an incredible chase of 407 but lost two wickets just before the new ball to eventually lose by 40 runs. In Southampton, they were bowled out in two sessions in their second innings. In Adelaide they were 299 for 5 in a chase of 364, but lost five wickets for 16 runs. In Brisbane, they went toe to toe with Australia for three days before an unsettled session on the fourth morning after a practice pitch mishap cost them the game. In Galle, they won seven sessions before Dinesh Chandimal took the Test away from them.

For whatever reason - perhaps lack of fitness, concentration and mental strength - they were letting Tests slip. The matches they have won after that Galle Test have obviously involved hard work, but they haven't been against sides that just keeps refusing to roll over. In difficult conditions - both underfoot and overhead - New Zealand, battling injuries even before the start of the series, have done themselves immense credit in answering the count after every blow.

That is precisely why this series win has to be one of their more special events in India's unbeaten run of 12 Tests - nine wins and three draws with weather playing a significant part. This Test, in particular, was significant because this was played in conditions that brought New Zealand's quicks into the game.

It has been India outlasting their opponents both with the bat and the ball throughout the series. Having squandered the toss advantage to end the first day of the series at 291 for 9, they came back and added 27 crucial runs on the second morning. Then when New Zealand put together partnerships, the bowlers kept pulling out tricks.

Coming into Kolkata, Anil Kumble said he didn't need to worry about the pitch because his side had all bases covered. Their top-order batting is not one of them yet, but the lower order once again covered up for them. Kohli, and his batsmen can be grateful that under him there has not been one Test where the lower order has not made a contribution with the bat. Since 2014, India's lower order has contributed the highest proportion of its team runs among all sides. On this pitch, though, you would have thought New Zealand fast bowlers would be able to run through.

Not through Wriddhiman Saha, no. Even in the second innings, New Zealand refused to give up, reducing India to 106 for 6, but Saha and Rohit Sharma came back hard at them. New Zealand once again found out they just couldn't go punch-for-punch with this team.

This was mostly a new-ball pitch where you got limited periods where the quicks became lethal -with the new ball and under the flood lights to be precise. Extreme humidity had rendered reverse swing insignificant. So there were about 25 overs with the new ball, and then there was little over half an hour under the lights on day two in which to create inroads. India took four wickets in the first 25 overs, and then snuffed out three more n that half hour under artificial light three more. Six of the seven wickets fell to pace.

Every time New Zealand have had a partnership, it has been instructive to observe India on the field. They have refused to look flat or go on the defensive. There will obviously be bigger tests in foreign conditions, but things have been allowed to drift at any point of time. They have given their plan A a good go but haven't always had a plan B.

In this series, they have burst through every small window of opportunity. The spinners changed angles to break partnerships twice in Kanpur. Whenever India have managed to get the ball changed, Mohammed Shami has reversed it. Ask BJ Watling who has fallen to it thrice. A green pitch brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar in ahead of Umesh Yadav, and he lived his dream of taking a home five-for.

Most importantly perhaps Kumble has brought in the maturity that this side required. That extra batsman, that support for Cheteshwar Pujara has brought in the stability that a Test team requires.

This is a long season. There will be pressure of expectations, there will be demands of fitness, at some point they may even need to rotate resources and perhaps during ODIs, they will likely be asked to come back after losing a toss, but now is the time to savour fruits their persistence and skill have borne.