Santner and Latham’s Heroics Leave India Reeling in Pune Test-Lotus365

Mitchell Santner and Tom Latham put India under pressure with stellar performances in Pune Test.

Mitchell Santner and Tom Latham led New Zealand to a commanding position as they put India under immense pressure during the second Test in Pune. The visitors showcased their bowling prowess, stunning the home side, and extended their lead beyond 300 runs by stumps on the second day. If you’re looking for accurate match predictions, don’t forget to check out Lotus365 Match Predictions.

The day began positively for India with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring freely. However, Gill's dismissal triggered a collapse that the hosts could not recover from. Virat Kohli was bowled by a low full toss, while Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant fell victim to poor shot selection. Despite the pitch playing tricks, the batting order did not come to the rescue as six wickets fell in the morning session, with Santner leading the charge.

Post-lunch, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja remained as the last recognized batters. Jadeja decided to take risks to reduce the deficit, successfully putting Ajaz Patel under pressure. However, Santner's brilliance halted Jadeja's innings as he completed a five-wicket haul, finishing with seven wickets overall.

With a vital lead of over 100 runs, New Zealand's openers also made a solid start, increasing the pressure on India. Ashwin and Washington claimed the wickets of Devon Conway and Will Young, but Latham continued to anchor the innings.

As the pitch became more challenging, New Zealand's intent was clear: they needed to add runs quickly. Washington Sundar's arm ball took the crucial wicket of Rachin Ravindra, but Daryl Mitchell’s aggressive intent was evident as he swept his third delivery for four. Washington eventually dismissed Mitchell, who fell short in timing his slog.

Despite the wickets falling, New Zealand consistently scored runs. Remarkably, India did not bowl a single maiden over in the first 40 overs of the innings. Washington's 11th wicket of the Test meant Latham missed a century, but his 86 runs were invaluable given the context of the match.

Brief scores:New Zealand 259 & 198/5 (Tom Latham 86; Washington Sundar 4/56) lead India 156 (Ravindra Jadeja 38; Mitchell Santner 7/53) by 301 runs. credits-https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/132200/santner-latham-put-india-under-the-pump