Pune: In a rare reversal, the Indian cricket team, famed for dominating visiting sides with spin, found themselves outplayed by New Zealand's spin attack on Day 2 of the Pune Test. Led by Mitchell Santner's skilful variations, New Zealand dismantled India within a session and a half, leaving them bowled out for just 156. The visitors now hold a substantial lead, already stretched to 188 runs, putting them on the cusp of a historic achievement on Indian soil.
India’s woes began when skipper Rohit Sharma fell late on Day 1. Starting the second day with hope on Friday, openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal showed brief resilience before Gill was trapped LBW. Soon after, Virat Kohli misjudged a dipping full toss, igniting a rapid collapse.
By lunch, India had lost six wickets as Santner asserted his control with unerring accuracy and deceptive pace changes. Ravindra Jadeja attempted to counterattack after lunch, but his dismissal reopened the floodgates.
With New Zealand now at 85-2 in their second innings, Tom Latham’s confident 37 off 60 balls and Rachin Ravindra’s supportive 7 from 8 have helped the visitors maintain a scoring rate of over four runs per over. India, opening their bowling with spin, aimed to contain the Kiwi batters, but New Zealand responded aggressively, utilising sweep shots and footwork to stay ahead on a deteriorating pitch.
Santner's left-arm spin proved particularly potent, supported by Glenn Phillips’ two wickets. In a Test now dominated by spin, this match joins historic encounters, such as New Zealand's maiden win in India at Nagpur in 1969, with 19 wickets falling to spin so far.
New Zealand, inching closer to a rare series triumph on Indian soil, has left India needing a dramatic turnaround to recover from this position.