PUNE: It’s difficult to pinpoint what hurt India the most — Mitchell Santner‘s best-ever bowling performance or the team’s poor display with the bat. Or the decision to opt for a spin-friendly track here after losing the first Test in Bengaluru. Then there was Tom Latham‘s crucial knock of 86, and the visitors milking 60-plus runs via sweeps and reverse sweeps.
India, trailing 0-1 in the series, wanted to play on the front foot. They are on the back foot now.
Many things didn’t go well for India on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand at the Gahunje stadium on Friday. As a result, their winning streak of 18 home Test series is in serious danger of ending. India were all out for 156 in response to the Kiwis’ 259 in the first innings. Then Latham’s 86 (133b; 10x4s) helped New Zealand reach 198-5 by stumps. The visitors are now 301 runs ahead with plenty of time in hand.
Santner bettered Washington Sundar‘s haul of 7-59 with his own 7-53. Like Washington, he was not a part of the previous Test. Now both have recorded their best-ever figures. Santner bowled unchanged for more than 19 overs in the morning session. The 32-year-old, playing his 29th Test in nine years, was rewarded for his maturity, change of pace and variation in length.
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Santner was “shocked” after getting Virat Kohli out bowled (1 off 9 balls) with a full toss. The former India captain was so upset with himself that after hitting the air with the bat, he hit the air again and disturbed the wickets.
Those who dreamt of India taking a 200-plus lead on a deteriorating pitch were in a for a reality check at that point.
From 50-1 in the 22nd over to 95-6 in the 34th over, India collapse would have shocked fans. This isn’t the first time they have collapsed in this series either — it happened in the first innings in Bengaluru and also in the latter part of the second innings in that Test.
India needed one batsman like Latham to show hunger and effectiveness to bat longer on this pitch. But no one put his hand up. On the other hand, the Kiwis built partnerships.
If Kohli’s dismissal indicated that it was not going to be India’s day, Rishabh Pant had other plans. He has been given a license to thrill and kill. But even the police have to use their guns responsibly. Living dangerously, Pant (18) did not bother to bide his time. He missed a hoick and got bowled off Glenn Phillips.
Sarfaraz Khan (11), meanwhile, gave catching practice to deep mid-off. He offered a difficult low catch to first slip off Santner but the fielder could not pluck it. The first Test centurion had also attempted a slog-sweep, the only problem being bat did not meet ball.
The fall of other Indian batsmen were not a consequence of rash shots. But the application of Shubman Gill (30), Ravindra Jadeja (38) and Washington (18*) left a lot to be desired. Washington did not even try to farm the strike with No. 11 Jasprit Bumrah. The Tamil Nadu southpaw hit a four off the last ball of the previous over.
India did not latch on to the difficult chances (Pant and Gill) when their turn to make amends in the field came. Santner spoke with empathy about India’s effort. “A couple of umpires’ calls and a couple of difficult chances did not go their way,” he said. But India were lucky to get Rachin Ravindra (9) early despite the stage being set for him at 89-2. The left-hander misread the line from a Washington delivery and was bowled.
