2nd Test
Day-3 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Santner’s spell has propelled the New Zealand team toward historic achievement
At The Tea of Day-3:
New Zealand scored 259 (1st Innings) and 255 (2nd Innings), where as India scored 156 (1st Innings) and 178/7 (2nd Innings).
So, finally New Zealand lead by 180 runs.
Mitchell Santner achieved his second five-wicket haul of the match and his first ten-wicket match haul in Tests, putting New Zealand on the verge of a historic series win against India in Pune.
During the afternoon session of Day 3, the hosts lost six wickets, five to Santner (5-72), while the sixth was a run out that he helped create from the field.
As a result, India headed into tea at 178/7, still needing another 181 runs for victory.
New Zealand appears poised to hand India their first home series defeat since 2012.
The session began positively for India, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (77) continuing his aggressive approach against the New Zealand bowlers.
His intent and shot selection kept the pressure on the opposition.
However, Santner soon showcased his skill, starting with the wicket of Shubman Gill, who edged one to slip.
The left-arm spinner then delivered a crucial blow by catching the outside edge of Jaiswal’s bat.
Notably, Jaiswal had reduced his use of sweeps after lunch, likely due to an aching back that required treatment between overs.
Jaiswal’s dismissal was a significant setback for India, and things quickly worsened when Rishabh Pant was run out after a miscommunication with Virat Kohli.
From a comfortable 127/2, India plummeted to 127/4, losing two key left-handers who could have countered Santner’s spin.
In an attempt to maintain a left-right batting combination, India promoted Washington Sundar to No. 6.
While this was a clever tactic, it could not thwart Santner, who dismissed Kohli for the second time in the match and soon after took out Sarfaraz Khan and Sundar.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin managed to hold on and prevent further damage, but the outcome already feels inevitable.
Despite the other bowlers being less consistently threatening, Santner has capitalized on the Pune pitch with devastating effectiveness, leaving India in a precarious position.
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