India lose second Test against New Zealand by 113 runs in Pune
PUNE: Ability to rotate the strike. Sharpness in the field. Flexibility with strategy and captaincy. Perennial underdogs New Zealand showed that sometimes these things matter more than the big shots, both in terms of personnel and batting style.
Without their most skilful and experienced batsman Kane Williamson, New Zealand hammered India – who had the likes of captain Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli in the ranks – by 113 runs in the second Test at the Gahunje stadium with two days to spare.
The Tom Latham-led team’s historic first-ever Test series in India and the home team’s first defeat in their own backyard in 18 series – after a span of 12 years – may not be as dramatic as Australia ending West Indies’ unbeaten run at Sabina Park in 1995. But it underlined that cool minds can defuse firepower in an elegant way.
On an extremely helpful pitch, left arm spinner Mitchell Santner took his best career haul of 13-157 (7-53 & 6-104) to give a new lease of life to his career. He would like to travel with the Gahunje pitch. But such pitches, made with special instructions from the team management, cannot be imported. Santner bowled unchanged for 29 overs as India tried to chase 359 as if there is no tomorrow and folded for 245.
The shattering defeat is a blow to India’s WTC final aspirations. The reasons for the series loss are multiple. But one thing is clear: some top players are a pale shadow of their former selves and fast approaching their expiry date. It wouldn’t be prudent to change horses midstream in this WTC cycle. In any case, the team for the Australia tour has already been announced. But the generational change must be carried out, without fear or favour, over the next 12 months. To procrastinate would be self-damaging.
It’s not the first time that India have succumbed to spin at home. There have been newcomers like Aussies Steve O’Keefe (Pune 2017), Matthew Kuhnemann (6-76, Indore 2023) and England’s Tom Hartley (7-62, Hyderabad 2024) who have also had an impact. But this time it came not against a newbie but Santner, a veteran of his craft.
India took lunch with great hope as Ravindra Jadeja and dashing left-handed batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal (46; 36b, 3x4s, 3×6) gave them some respite. They had taken five Kiwi wickets for 58 runs in the morning session.
Jaiswal came out all guns blazing, collecting boundaries with cuts, drives and backfoot punches. A couple of straight towering sixes, with great footwork, were a treat to watch. He also made the life of Kiwi bowlers difficult with sweeps and reverse sweeps.
But Shubman Gill (23) and Jaiswal (77) got out in quick succession in the post-lunch session. Rohit Sharma (8) came on to the front foot and popped a bat-pad catch to short leg while Gill edged a Santner delivery angled into him to slips. Jaiswal did not use soft hands against the left-arm bowler around the wicket. While trying to cover the angle, he edged the straightened ball comfortably to first slip.
Almost 30,000 spectators felt the pain when Rishabh Pant was run out for a three-ball duck. He was slow off the blocks from the non-striker’s end as Kohli wanted a sharp single to backward point. And the ball was to the throwing hand of Santner, who was right on the money with the throw to the ‘keeper just above the stumps.
After the fall of Jaiswal at 127-3, India could have sent Washington Sundar and Jadeja to bat ahead of aggressors Pant and Sarfaraz Khan. It’s not clear if they did not trust the staying capacity of the duo considering the conditions or wanted to chase down the target on the third day itself. Kohli (17) played on the backfoot when he could have played it with better control and paid the penalty of leaving it to the umpires’ call against Santner’s guile.
The approach of rival fielding captains also indicated that the Kiwis showed more flexibility. Latham started with pace from both ends but after realizing that it was not working, he brought on Santner immediately.
On the other hand, Rohit started with both off-spinners R Ashwin and Washington Sundar in the second innings, not trusting world-class pacer Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball for at least a couple of overs. And he persisted with Ashwin at the end from which Santner had taken seven wickets in the first innings despite having a leftie – Jadeja – at his disposal.
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