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If yesterday belonged to Washington Sundar, today was all about Mitchell Santner, who achieved his best-ever figures of 7/53 to bowl India out for 156 after another shambolic collapse. Skipper Tom Latham (86) then took charge with the bat, extending New Zealand’s lead to 301 runs by the close of day two.
While the pitch did offer its challenges, India will regret a few shot selections, which led to six wickets falling in the morning session alone, leaving them struggling at 107/7 by lunch. The first session firmly swung the game in the visitors’ favour.
India’s poor shot selection certainly didn’t help their cause. Rishabh Pant fell to an ill-advised cross-batted shot, Virat Kohli was bowled after missing a full toss, and Sarfaraz Khan lofted a catch to mid-off. The hosts found themselves six down for just 91 runs within the 27 overs before lunch. Once again, India were left searching for answers against a disciplined New Zealand attack. This time, however, it was the Kiwi spinners who took charge, dismantling India’s top and middle order with tight lines and clever variations, forcing the batters to play risky shots.
Santner set the tone early, probing the Indian batters with precision and adjusting his pace to suit the turning surface. He quickly identified the ideal speed to bowl he kept his line consistent, reaping the rewards as he chipped away with wickets. Using the crease cleverly, the tall left-arm spinner unsettled the Indian batters and sowed seeds of doubt. Glenn Phillips joined in shortly after the drinks break, dismissing both Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, further compounding India’s struggles. Attempting to relieve the mounting pressure with aggressive shots, the Indian batters frequently fell to the disciplined Kiwi spinners.
With wickets falling rapidly, it became clear the Indian batters were merely reaching out to the ball rather than playing with purpose, leading to a cascade of dismissals.
Trailing by 152 runs, hopes rested on Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja to close the gap. However, after Jadeja’s dismissal, Sundar was left stranded as the remaining wickets tumbled quickly. Following their two-session effort to bowl India out, New Zealand began their second innings with a strong 103-run lead. Ravichandran Ashwin and Sundar opened the bowling for India, though Ashwin conceded runs early on, undoing some of the pressure Sundar had built. It didn’t take Sundar long to break through, trapping Devon Conway lbw, and he soon added three more scalps, including the key wicket of a well-set Tom Latham.
Latham batted with purpose, showing intent from the start. A crisp cover drive and a well-placed boundary between mid-on and short mid-wicket set the tone for his innings. As he continued batting, he got the measure of the wicket, evident in his confident footwork and sweep shots to accumulate runs. Ashwin was always a threat, given his track record, but Latham managed to neutralise him effectively. Wickets kept tumbling around him, yet the Kiwi opener ensured he batted long and maintained a good scoring rate to put his team in a commanding position.
For India, the seasoned duo of Jadeja and Ashwin couldn’t create the impact they are known for, while the fielding was, at times, too defensive and somewhat casual. Sundar maintained tight lines and lengths, with Rohit Sharma deploying him from the Pavilion End, the same end from which he took all his wickets in the first innings.
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