New Zealand spin wizard Mitchell Santner returns to haunt India again
Mitchell Santner picked up three wickets while Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi chipped in with one wicket apiece as India lost five wickets to spin to be bowled out for 318 against New Zealand on Day 2 of the Kanpur Test.
In Short
- Mitchell Santner finished with 3/94 as India were all out for 318.
- Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig also picked up one wicket each.
- It was not the first time that the spinners have troubled India.
The first day of the historic 500th Test did not go to the liking of Virat Kohli's side in the Kanpur Test as New Zealand bowlers made inroads at regular intervals to keep India in check.
Mitchell Santner's eventual 3/94 at the Green Park reminded India of their poor outing against New Zealand in the World Twenty20 earlier this year.
India got off a decent start, with Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul opening the innings before left-arm spinner Santner cut short the latter's quick knock of 32 off 39 balls in the 11th over. (MATCH BLOG)
However, Vijay, who made a comeback after an injury layoff, joined forces with an in-form Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease. The duo dealt the Kiwi bowlers with equal amount of aggression and patience, putting on a solid foundation for the team.
Vijay (65) and Pujara (62) stitched together a 112-run stand for the second wicket before floodgates were opened. Santner was brought into the attack in the latter half of the post lunch session and provided New Zealand with another wicket when Pujara was caught and bowled in the 49th over with India reaching 154/2.
Santner did not stop there. He returned to the attack to get rid of Rohit Sharma (35), who threw away his wicket after getting a good start. Santner was ably supported by fellow spinners Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi who chipped in with one wicket apiece.
INDIA VS SPIN
The story of India's vulnerability against spin is nothing new and it was not the first time that Santner had troubled the Indian batsmen.
In this year's World T20 opener, India fell prey to spin. Not that the Kiwis were any good with 126/7 on board against a batting-heavy MS Dhoni-led side but the way India replied was even worse.
Santner, then a rookie in international cricket, picked wickets at will and bamboozled India's batsmen with his precision as Kiwis went on to record a stunning 47-run victory against the tournament favourites. His figures in the match read 4/11, with Ish Sodhi getting three wickets.
PANESAR, SWANN OUTCLASS INDIA
When England toured India in 2012, the decision to prepare rank turners back-fired on MS Dhoni and Co. and it resulted in a 2-1 series loss in the four-match series. It was the first series win for England in India since 1984-85.
Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar made the most of the pitches, picking up 20 and 17 wickets respectively. The duo was instrumental in England's historic series victory, especially after they lost the first Test in Ahmedabad.