NEW DELHI: New Zealand won their first series in India since 1955 thanks to left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who remarked that taking wickets frequently in the second Test helped him get beyond the pain barrier.
After winning the first game in Bengaluru by eight wickets, New Zealand won the second game in Pune on Saturday by 113 runs, ending their opponents’ impressive home record of 18 straight series wins against any nation dating back to 2012.
Despite a hurting side, Santner led New Zealand’s assault by remaining unchanged for 29 overs during India’s second innings. After taking 7-53 in the first innings, he collected 6-104 to finish with an incredible match total of 13 wickets.
“My side’s a little sore. Must be the spike in my workloads, 20-odd overs there,” Santner said.
“I felt it a little bit early on in my spell but I guess in that kind of situation you just want to keep going for the team and every time I’d get a wicket, it felt a little better.”
After England’s Ian Botham, who took 13-106 at Mumbai in 1980, and teammate Ajaz Patel, who took 14-225 also at Mumbai in 2021, Santner’s haul was the third-best haul by a visiting bowler in India.
“I’ve been in and out (of the test side) and to get these conditions and put in a shift like that is pleasing,” Santner added to New Zealand media on Sunday.
“To do it against India, beat them at their own game. That was the most pleasing thing for us in that second test.
“… In Bengaluru we got the best of conditions, especially at the start. After that it was a grind. Over here, we out-spun them, outplayed them in their home conditions.”
‘ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL’
Glenn Phillips expressed his happiness at his fellow spinner receiving the credit he so richly deserves.
“For him to be able to take 13 wickets in a really crucial, tight game… the way that he went about in both the first and second innings was absolutely crucial,” Phillips said.
“He bowled in some seriously good areas, the control he had went such a long way. It’s tough being a spinner in New Zealand and he’s had a lot of naysayers in the past.
“To be able to show them what he can actually do and to be able to show from a team first perspective what is needed in Indian conditions is fantastic. I’m super stoked for him.”
Santner, whose previous best was 3-34 in an innings, was praised by captain Tom Latham.
“He did a fantastic job. Obviously the wickets he got … But what will go unnoticed is the amount of overs he bowled back-to-back,” Latham said.
“I kept trying to take him off but he kept taking a wicket. So I said ‘you can keep going’. Look, I can’t praise him enough for what he’s done. He was simply fantastic.”
Mumbai will host the final Test from Friday.
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