Mitchell Santner reveals watching Sundar bowl helped him achieve success as New Zealand seize control of Pune Test

New Zealand bounced back in style after suffering a batting collapse on the opening day of the second Test against India in Pune, outperforming their opponents with bat as well as with ball to find themselves ahead by 301 runs on Friday. The Black Caps had lost seven wickets for just 62 runs to get bowled out for 259 on Day 1 after opting to bat with Washington Sundar collecting 7/59 on his Test comeback.

New Zealand, however, not only bundled the Indians out for 156 in reply, with the hosts losing wickets in a heap after resuming from their overnight score of 16/1, with the visitors collecting a sizeable 103-run first innings lead.

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A key reason for that dominant performance with the ball on Friday was left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who ran through the famed Indian batting lineup and registered his career-best figures of 7/53 – collecting four or more wickets in a Test innings for the first time in his career.

As It Happened | India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test in Pune, Day 2

Buoyed by clinical reply with the ball, the Tom Latham-led side would pile further misery on the hosts later in the day by scoring nearly 200 runs with half of their wickets still in hand, stretching India’s target past 300 in the process.

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Speaking to broadcasters JioCinema after stumps on Day 2, Santner revealed he had observed how Sundar operated on the Pune wicket and used the width of the crease to create different angles, which helped him with his own bowling.

“We spoke about it the other day. Tried to find the right speed. It changed as the game went on. I just tried to keep the speed to 90. And tried to keep it there. Tried to change the speed later on, but it was good,” said Santner. “I just tried to play with angles. Tried to vary it up. Just watched Washy (Sundar) and that looked cool so I thought will do that.”

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Both Sundar and Santner have made their presence felt in Pune after sitting out of the Bengaluru Test.

While Santner replaced Matt Henry in New Zealand’s only change to their winning combination in Bengaluru, Sundar wasn’t even part of India’s original squad for the series and dishing out an all-round performance for Tamil Nadu in their Ranji Trophy match against Delhi.

Career-best Test figures ✅
Maiden Test five-wicket bag ✅
Second best Test innings figures for New Zealand in India ✅
Third best Test innings figures for New Zealand against India ✅
Eighth equal best innings figures in New Zealand Test history ✅ pic.twitter.com/u22mTMGAv4

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 25, 2024

Sundar would later collect four of the five wickets that fell in New Zealand’s second innings to register his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests. However, despite his heroics, the visiting team found themselves in the driving seat thanks to a captain’s knock from Latham, who struck 10 fours during his knock of 86 off 133 deliveries.

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After bringing up his 30th Test fifty, Latham was closing in on his 14th century in the format when he was trapped LBW by Sundar shortly before close of play, failing to overturn the decision even after he opted for the review.

New Zealand currently find themselves in prime position to collect their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil. Before their dominant victory in Bengaluru, where their seam trio of Henry, William O’Rourke and Tim Southee helped bowl India out for a paltry 46, the 2021 world Test champions had not won a match in the five-day format in this part of the world for 36 years.