Mitchell Santner’s bowling wreaked havoc in the Pune Test, as Indian batsmen succumbed to his spin. He single-handedly sent more than half of the team back to the pavilion, taking a staggering 7 wickets for just 53 runs, leading to India being bowled out for only 156 runs. This performance gave New Zealand a substantial lead of 103 runs and put them in a strong position in the match.
A Milestone Achievement
For the first time in his Test career, Mitchell Santner achieved a five-wicket haul. He also became the third bowler from New Zealand to achieve the best bowling figures in India. Previously, in 2021, Ajaz Patel had taken 10 wickets for 119 runs, while Richard Hadlee claimed 7 wickets for just 23 runs in 1976. Now, Santner has recorded 7 wickets for 53 runs.
Indian batsmen appeared helpless against Santner’s bowling, starting with Shubman Gill. The Indian team began the day at 16 runs with one wicket down. At a score of 50, Santner provided India with their first blow by dismissing Gill. The wickets continued to fall as he then took the scalps of Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja. He later dismissed the last three batsmen, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, and Jasprit Bumrah, completing his seven-wicket haul and breaking the back of the Indian batting lineup.
India in Trouble
After losing the first Test match in Bengaluru, the Indian team hoped to make a comeback. However, they fell into their own trap in Pune, unable to withstand New Zealand’s spin bowling. While Yashasvi Jaiswal (30 runs) and Shubman Gill (30 runs) tried to hold the fort, Ravindra Jadeja’s late effort (38 runs) was insufficient.
Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar contributed with 18 runs each, but it proved inadequate as India conceded a lead of over 100 runs. This situation has raised concerns for captain Rohit Sharma, as this marks only the second time in the last 23 years that India has lost a lead of over 100 runs in consecutive Test matches. The previous instance was in 2001 against Australia at Wankhede and Eden Gardens.