New Zealand Mitchell Santner celebrates after taking a wicket on day 2 of the second Test against India in Pune on October 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash
Once is an aberration. Twice is a pattern.
The venue changed. So did the conditions. But India’s batters staged a first-innings meek surrender for the second week in succession. As a result, New Zealand tightened its noose around India and found itself in with a realistic chance of winning its maiden Test series on Indian soil.
Mitchell Santner’s (7/53) clever variation in speed – combined with inexplicable strokeplay by India’s batters – not only resulted in his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests but also helped New Zealand bundle India out for 156 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium on Friday (October 25, 2024). A captain’s knock by Tom Latham then ensured that the sizeable 103-run advantage was built on superbly by the New Zealand batters.
IND vs NZ second Test: Day 2 in pictures, October 25, 2024
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner proved to be nemesis for the Indian batsmen as he claimed seven wickets in the first innings and his effort enabled India to be dismissed for 156, in Pune on October 25, 2024
Virat Kohli was dimissed by Mitchell Santner for 1 in the second Test in Pune.
Mitchell Santner bowled brilliantly as this delivery dismissed Akash Deep on day 2 of the second Test in Pune.
Ravindra Jadeja was the top scorer for India in the first innings of the second Test. Jadeja scored 38 in the total score of 156.
New Zealand players celebrate the wicket of Rishabh Pant on day 2 of the second Test in Pune.
New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham scored a brilliant 86 to take New Zealand lead past 300.
New Zealand’s Tom Blundell was not out on 30 and he is expected to take Kiwis past 350.
Having taken seven wickets in the first innings, Washington Sundar took four wickets in the second New Zealand innings.
New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was dismissed by Washington Sundar. Ravindra was castled by Sundar in both the innings.
1/3
At the end of the second day’s play, New Zealand was 198 for five, with an advantage of 301 runs. Should India have to give itself a remote chance, the spin trio will have to dismiss the lower order quickly and the batting needs to come good.
If Friday’s first session was an indication, it will be a Herculean task to even make a match of it. Starting its first innings at 16 for one, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were comfortable against Tim Southee’s pace but Santner started asking questions in the first over itself. Gill was fortunate to have been adjudged not out off a close lbw shout while missing one that rapped his pads in line.
India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 2 Highlights
While Jaiswal successfully employed the reverse-sweep off Santner, Gill charged down to loft Southee over his head for a six. In the 11th over, however, Gill ran out of luck as Paul Reiffel upheld an lbw appeal. By then, Santner had settled into a nice rhythm and rather than trying to put too many revs on the ball, he was focussed on varying the pace and letting the dicey strip do the rest.
It worked in his next over as Santner found Virat Kohli playing all over a slow full-toss, missing it and watching the ball crash into the stumps. It was a ball that an on-song Kohli could have hit anywhere but he failed to even connect.
That dismissal sparked a string of bad shots. While Jaiswal edged offie Glenn Phillips to the slip, Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan both had a reprieve each but failed to capitalise on it. Pant missed a slower ball off the backfoot off Phillips while Sarfaraz miscued a drive to deepish mid-off. When R. Ashwin was undone with a skidder that also stayed low, Santner was on a roll and India was reeling at 103 for seven.
Had it not been for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s cameos after the break, India would have struggled to cross the 150-run mark. Santner’s relentless pressure meant he picked the last three wickets
to end India’s innings.
Latham and Devon Conway then batted positively as New Zealand opened on a strong note. Despite Washington continuing to strike regularly and even picking a 10-wicket match haul, India’s spinners never appeared to be threatening to run through the visitors’ batting order. Not only did New Zealand manage to rotate strike regularly but also took a full toll on the loose balls to take a firm grip on the game.
Published – October 25, 2024 03:29 pm IST
