In a remarkable demonstration of skill and strategy, New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner had a day to remember at the cricketing battleground of Pune. It was a day where everything seemingly fell into place for Santner, who delivered an exceptional bowling performance, highlighted by his statistics of 7/53. This feat not only secured a crucial first-innings lead for New Zealand but also marked a fairytale return for Santner, who was absent for the Bengaluru Test. This match was of particular significance for Santner, as it marked a comeback after a rather unremarkable series in Sri Lanka, where his figures were a meager 1/197 across two Tests.
Reflecting on his incredible performance, Santner admitted, “I think I was in more of a shock getting Kohli out off the full toss. He doesn’t usually miss those.” These words encapsulate the surreal nature of the day’s play. Dismissing a renowned batsman like Virat Kohli with an unlikely delivery only added to the day’s drama.
Santner’s narrative of the game was simple: “I think it was one of those days where I just got the wickets.” He further elaborated on the strategy behind his success, highlighting the importance of partnerships in bowling. “But I guess, we speak about bowling and partnerships a lot. I think that’s very important out there. If we can kind of build from both ends, one guy will get the wickets, and one guy will do more of a holding role,” he explained. In Sri Lanka, Santner often found himself in the holding position, allowing his fellow bowlers like Ajaz Patel to strike from the other end. This cooperative approach seemed to pay dividends in Pune.
The spinner’s tactics in Pune were underlined by his adept use of angles and a varied pace on a pitch that offered assistance. He credited spin bowling consultant Rangana Herath for this successful methodology.
. “I think it was, it was slightly slower through the air. I just tried to change it up a little bit but usually, if you bowl those, they go for six,” Santner explained, acknowledging the subtle nuances in his bowling that day.
His ability to alter the pace of his deliveries proved crucial, with an average speed of 82.7 kph, Santner outperformed both teams’ average speeds in the first innings. His adaptive approach meant that some deliveries spun, others skidded, and some stayed low, leaving the batsmen in disarray.
Mitchell Santner drew inspiration from experienced bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, acknowledging their years of proficiency in making batting challenging on Indian pitches. “You know, we’ve watched guys like Jaddu [Jadeja] and Ashwin do that for years over here and make it very challenging to play,” he remarked. The aim for Santner, like his inspirations, was precision and letting the pitch’s characteristics play their part. He emphasized, “All we talk about is being accurate for a long time and trying to let the pitch kind of do its thing.”
For Santner, maintaining a focus on accuracy and ensuring the stumps were consistently in play was key, particularly as the match progressed. “I think especially on the surface, later on, some of them are actually going down. So I think kind of stump to stump,” he noted, referring to the numerous LBWs and bowled dismissals already witnessed.
Anticipating India’s response in the second innings, Santner predicted, “And I think India will probably come out maybe more aggressive and try and put us on the back foot.” However, he also acknowledged the need to bolster their position with the bat, stressing, “There’s still a job to do with the bat. Obviously, the more runs we get now, it makes our job with the ball a little easier.”
In conclusion, Mitchell Santner’s exceptional performance in Pune was a masterclass in the art of spin bowling. His ability to adapt, combined with a collaborative team approach, paved the way for a memorable day in cricket, marking his successful comeback and potentially changing the course of the match for New Zealand.