The National Times - New Zealand eye history after Santner's 7-53 in India Test

New Zealand eye history after Santner's 7-53 in India Test


New Zealand eye history after Santner's 7-53 in India Test
New Zealand eye history after Santner's 7-53 in India Test / Photo: © AFP

New Zealand were in sight of a historic series win in India after spinner Mitchell Santner took 7-53 to help bowl out the hosts cheaply in the second Test on Friday.

Change text size:

A stunned India fell to 156 all out in their reply, gifting the visitors a first-innings lead of 103 on a turning Pune pitch.

New Zealand, who have never won a Test series in India and lead the three-match series 1-0, were 198-5 at stumps in their second knock, a lead of 301, after skipper Tom Latham hit 86.

Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, on 30, and Glenn Phillips, on nine, were batting at the close of play.

"Still a job to do with the bat," bowling hero Santner said.

"Obviously the more runs we get now, it makes our job with the ball a little bit easier."

Spinner Washington Sundar grabbed four wickets to take his match tally to 11 after returning figures of 7-59 on day one.

Sundar trapped Devon Conway lbw for 17 in New Zealand's second knock before senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sent back Will Young for 23 before tea.

Sundar also bowled Rachin Ravindra for nine as the left-hander went back for a cut only to miss and the skidding ball hit the off-stump. Daryl Mitchell fell for 18.

Latham reached his fifty and kept firm in a 60-run partnership with Blundell until his departure when Sundar trapped the left-hander lbw.

"It is satisfying," Santner said of the visiting batsmen taking on the Indian spinners in favourable conditions.

"We know how challenging it can be in these conditions. Seen India squeeze a lot of teams for a long time and I guess it was pleasing with the bat with guys trying to fire some shots and play some sweeps and take on the bowlers."

- Kohli shock -

Santner sparkled for New Zealand with his left-arm spin as he claimed his first five-wicket haul in 29 Test appearances to trump India at their own game of spin.

Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 38 but India's batting fell apart, with the hosts bowled out in the second session in just 45.3 overs.

Overnight batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill started cautiously before Santner struck in the 11th over of the day.

He trapped Gill lbw for 30 with a slider to the right-hander.

The home fans were then stunned into silence when Santner took the prized wicket of Kohli, bowled on a low full toss for one.

Santner admitted it was a "shock" to get the star batsman out in that manner.

Off-spinner Phillips struck on his fourth ball to get the left-handed Jaiswal caught at slip for 30 to leave the hosts on 70-4 and then 83-5 when he bowled Rishabh Pant for 18.

First-match centurion Sarfaraz Khan managed 11 before Santner got him caught at mid-on.

"I thought the pace that Santner bowled today was spot on for this surface," India bowling coach Morne Morkel said.

"You want to be playing cricket on the front foot in these conditions, but we couldn't find that rhythm and momentum today."

India resumed the day on 16-1 and their batting collapse was the second in the series after they fell to 46 all out in the first Test in Bengaluru for their lowest-ever home total.

Last week's win by New Zealand was their first Test victory on Indian soil since 1988.

J.Sharp--TNT

Featured

Oilers Edge Flyers 3-2 in Overtime Despite Philadelphia's Shot Dominance

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Place on Wednesday night. Evan Bouchard scored the winning goal just 47 seconds into the extra period, capping a comeback that overcame a late tying goal by Travis Sanheim despite Philadelphia outshooting Edmonton.

Maswanganyi Clarifies Pirates Allegiance Amidst Career Transition

Patrick Maswanganyi has addressed speculation surrounding his career by reaffirming that Orlando Pirates remains his dream club, despite growing up as a Kaizer Chiefs supporter. Speaking during an exclusive interview, the Bafana Bafana international also clarified the nature of his relationship with former coach Abdeslam Ouaddou following his recent exit from the Soweto giants.

Kuwait's Yasmeen Waleed Wins High Jump Gold at Dakar Youth Olympics

Kuwaiti athlete Yasmeen Waleed has won the gold medal in the high jump at the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Her victory established a new Kuwaiti national record of 1.80 meters, marking a significant milestone for the nation's youth sports program.

Matvei Michkov Leads Flyers in Goals but Ranks Sixth in Ice Time

Matvei Michkov leads the Philadelphia Flyers with 10 goals through 20 games, but his total ice time ranks sixth among the team's forwards. Head coach Rick Tocchet has concentrated Michkov’s additional minutes on the power play, where he has scored five of his goals, while his even-strength usage has remained relatively stable compared to last season.

Change text size: