In a remarkable display of skill and perseverance, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner guided his team to a historic series-clinching victory over India in the second Test match held in Pune. Santner’s outstanding bowling figures of 6-104 in the second innings, following his career-best 7-53 in the first innings, propelled New Zealand to a comprehensive 112-run win. This result marked India’s first series defeat at home since 2012, abruptly ending an 18-series unbeaten streak on home soil.
The conclusion seemed imminent at the Tea break on the third day when India required 181 more runs to avert a loss. Despite the efforts of seasoned players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, India found themselves in an insurmountable position. The experienced pair did manage to engineer a 39-run partnership to delay New Zealand’s victory celebrations. However, Santner once again disrupted India’s momentum by getting Ashwin to edge one to Daryl Mitchell at first slip. Jadeja showcased resilience with a valiant 42 but, with the company’s tail-enders, the outcome was only a matter of time.
New Zealand’s triumph was built on a solid foundation of precise batting and disciplined bowling. The playing surface in Pune, known for its dry and spinning nature, made winning the toss a key advantage – a factor that favored Tom Latham in his debut match as the full-time captain. Contributions from Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) were crucial as they laid a strong platform for the visitors, despite the pitch becoming increasingly difficult. Looking back, their performances were pivotal, as New Zealand collapsed to a formidable Washington Sundar, who claimed 7-59.
Both Conway and Ravindra impressed with composed and assured batting displays, especially Ravindra, whose fluid stroke play stood out. New Zealand aimed for a total between 300 and 325, but Sundar’s meticulous exploitation of the conditions saw the visitors’ last seven wickets fall for just 62 runs. This momentum shift momentarily buoyed India, but New Zealand retaliated with class the following day.
.
For Santner, the match marked a significant comeback, especially after a challenging series in Sri Lanka. Under immense pressure regarding his red-ball future, Santner exhibited sheer mastery, dismantling the Indian batting order with a blend of varied trajectories and deceiving pace on a surface that played to his strengths. Unfortunately for India, their first-innings display against spin was lackluster, yielding a substantial lead of 103 runs to New Zealand, a game-changing edge.
India’s efforts to claw back hinged on restricting New Zealand to a manageable second-innings total, ideally between 100 and 125. However, New Zealand’s proactive approach dashed those hopes, with Latham leading by example with a composed 86. The immense burden of protecting an unbeaten home streak seemed to have weighed down India’s spinners as Ashwin and Jadeja struggled to replicate Santner’s control. Sundar, with figures of 4-56, provided some respite for India but lacked sufficient support from others.
As New Zealand reached 198/5 at the end of the second day, with a lead surpassing 300, the result appeared sealed. Jadeja did manage an impressive effort in the morning session, reducing New Zealand’s batting order swiftly, but the daunting target of 359 was always improbable. Despite India’s history of miraculous comebacks, this task proved too onerous, even as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s explosive 77 revved up the chase. However, Santner extinguished India’s hopes once more, dismantling the batting line-up, with Jaiswal’s dismissal and Rishabh Pant’s run out for a duck sealing India’s fate.
Santner’s exceptional performance, culminating in two five-wicket hauls and a 13-wicket match tally, secured New Zealand’s place in cricketing annals. Amidst a series of record-breaking feats, becoming the first team to win a series in India in over a decade stood out prominently. Over two games, India, deprived of answers, particularly on a seam-tending Bengaluru wicket, were comprehensively outplayed.
In brief, New Zealand scored 259 and 255 (Tom Latham 86; Washington Sundar 4-56, Ravindra Jadeja 3-72) while India managed 156 and 245 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 77, Ravindra Jadeja 42; Mitchell Santner 6-104), resulting in a memorable 112-run victory for the visitors.