In a commanding display on the second day of the Test match in Pune, New Zealand surged ahead, overwhelming the Indian side with both bat and ball. The combination of Mitchell Santner’s disciplined bowling and Tom Latham’s steady bat ensured that the visitors held the upper edge, piling pressure on the home team as they stretched their lead significantly beyond the 300-run mark.
The day began promisingly for India, with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal effectively finding gaps and stroking boundaries, setting a solid foundation early on. However, their promising start was short-lived as Gill’s dismissal ignited a dramatic collapse, leaving India reeling. The Indian captain, Virat Kohli, making an uncommon error, failed to connect with a low full toss, succumbing to a mistimed shot that uprooted his stumps. The dismissal put the Indian innings on a slippery slope that continued as Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant followed him back to the pavilion soon. This spate of quick dismissals can be attributed partly to the tricky nature of the pitch, but poor shot selection and execution by the Indian batsmen undoubtedly played a significant role in their downfall.
Throughout the morning session, India’s renowned long batting lineup offered no resistance against the relentless pressure from New Zealand. It was Mitchell Santner, who spearheaded the attack, effectively dismantling the middle order and emerging as the architect of India’s batting woes, capturing six crucial wickets during the session.
Post-lunch, with India already on the backfoot, only Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja were left to salvage some pride. Realizing the impending deficit, Jadeja opted for an aggressive approach, swinging the bat in an attempt to minimize the lead. His gamble seemed to pay off momentarily as Ajaz Patel struggled under this newfound pressure. However, Santner was quick to adjust his tactics, dismissing Jadeja to clinch a significant five-wicket haul, ultimately ending his bowling stint with stellar figures of seven wickets.
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Securing a lead exceeding 100 runs, New Zealand’s openers put the hosts under further strain. Although Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar managed to chalk up the dismissals of Devon Conway and Will Young, Tom Latham showcased immense composure and batted resolutely at the other end. His valuation of every run contributed significantly to New Zealand’s mounting dominance.
Given the increasingly challenging nature of the pitch as the match progressed, New Zealand batted with a sense of urgency, determined to build a robust, defendable score. Washington Sundar managed to snag the critical wicket of Rachin Ravindra with a well-placed arm ball, but Daryl Mitchell, undeterred, countered immediately by driving his third delivery for an audacious boundary, signaling New Zealand’s attacking intent. While Washington Sundar’s strategic use of spin proved effective as he captivated the prized wicket of Mitchell with a misjudged slog that resulted in a simple catch at long-on, the Kiwi batsmen maintained their aggressive stride.
Despite the couple of wickets that India did manage to scrape, New Zealand’s batting line-up refused to be bogged down. Runs trickled steadily, frustrating the Indian bowlers who struggled to stem the flow; this consistent pressure meant that the first 40 overs of New Zealand’s innings didn’t see a single maiden over, marking the side’s dominance through sustained aggression. Sundar’s commendable display awarded him his 11th wicket of the match, narrowly denying Latham a century, though his tenacious 86-run innings was invaluable in setting New Zealand in a commanding position in the context of the Test.
As play drew to a close on the second day, the scoreboard highlighted New Zealand’s formidable position. With the visiting side setting a victory target of 301 runs thus far, India is now tasked with a daunting challenge to counter-attack on a pitch that will only become tougher to bat on. With questions surrounding India’s ability to withstand the pressure and stage a meaningful comeback, the spectators await with bated breath, eager to witness how this engrossing Test unfolds as New Zealand holds the aces after an exhilarating day of cricket.