Santner Spin Magic: How He Mastered India’s Collapse in 2nd Test
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On Day 2 of the second Test match between India and New Zealand in Pune, Santner is arguably the star of the day, managing to destroy India’s batting order. With a career-best 7/53, Santner disclosed his plan for eliminating the Indian batters, noting Washington Sundar’s performance as inspiration. After evaluating Sundar’s bowling from the previous day, the left-arm spinner explained how he modified his approach to gain an advantage.
In a post-day press conference, Santner discussed his strategy, stating that he concentrated on maintaining a pace of about 90 km/h in order to observe the Indian batters and generate challenging angles by avoiding the crease. We had a conversation about it the other day. I kept it at 90 in an attempt to find the ideal pace. Later, I changed it. I just thought, “That looked cool; I’ll try that,” after seeing Washy [Sundar].
Santner’s Mastery on India’s Spinning Tracks
It may be difficult to bowl on Indian pitches, but Santner took advantage of the spin-friendly conditions to establish his rhythm early in the innings. Santner made the most of Pune’s twisting track, in contrast to New Zealand, where pitches are frequently less favourable for spin. He gave India’s batting order a devastating hit by getting rid of important players like Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill. A modest Indian total of 156 was achieved as a consequence of Santner’s superb bowling and change of speed, which hindered the batsmen from finding any solidity.
Santner Praises New Zealand Batters’ Partnerships
Santner gave New Zealand’s batters credit for establishing a strong lead after concluding India’s innings. Partnerships were crucial on this difficult field, he said, as Devon Conway’s calm 17 and Tom Latham’s tenacious 86 helped the Kiwis establish a strong base. In order to set themselves up for a possible series-winning victory, New Zealand increased their advantage to a dominating 301 runs by the end of Day 2.
Washington Sundar’s 4/56 in the second innings helped India rally, but New Zealand’s persistent batting held them ahead. The squad is on the verge of a historic Test series victory in India because of Santner’s outstanding bowling and the team’s strong lineup backing.
Following Washington Sundar’s lead, Mitchell Santner’s smart movement turned Day 2 into an Indian nightmare. Santner gave New Zealand the upper hand by modifying his bowling technique to fit the situation.
