If Santner’s seven wickets in the first innings and then a six-for in the second was not proof enough for his monumental performance, take the following factors into consideration.
Santner, in all probability, would not have even played this test had off spin-bowling all-rounder Michael Bracewell been available for selection.
New Zealand were definitely looking for an extra spinner in place of the injured Matt Henry to make better use of the conditions, favouring spin in Pune, but Santner was the third choice.
Before the Pune Test, Santner had a bowling average of 42.16 and a strike rate of 91.6. He had taken some tap in the tests against Sri Lanka in Galle and had never picked up a four-wicket haul in test cricket, let alone a five-for. His best figures were 3/34 against South Africa.
Santner had an injury on his bowling side right from the start of the second innings. Despite this, he bowled 29 overs, missing just one over from his end since he started bowling in the first innings.
Not known to be a big spinner of the ball, Santner varied his pace like no other. He used the angles to fox the Indian batters. After the match ended on Saturday, former New Zealand keeper Ian Smith said on commentary: “Mitchell Santner has become New Zealand’s national hero in three days.”
Bengaluru ‘not just a fluke’
Varun Pandey, Times of India
Before the second Test in Pune, New Zealand had just three wins in their test cricket history in India. One of them in Bengaluru – not even a week old – came after a 36-year gap.
A pitiful record on Indian soil and coming into the series on the backdrop of a humiliating 2-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka, no one would have imagined the Kiwis were daring enough to pull off a win against powerhouse India.
But the Black Caps did it.
On Saturday, Tom Latham and co. made history by beating India by 113 runs in the second test to halt India’s dominance at home.
It took the Black Caps just three days to ruin India’s stunning record, which had lasted 4331 days, handing the hosts a home series defeat for the first time since 2012, in the process proving the win at Chinnaswamy Stadium last week was not just a fluke.
The loss in Pune will now be a blot in India’s cricketing history, as the defeat meant their impressive record of not losing a test series at home since England’s win in 2012 came to an end.
Santner does it on his own
Siddarth Monga, ESPNCricinfo
Mitchell Santner, never more than three wickets in an innings or six in a match, bowled New Zealand to a historic win in Pune with match figures of 13/157, the third-best by any visiting bowler in India.
He bowled 29 overs on the trot for six wickets in the second innings to go with his unbroken spell of 19.3 overs in the first innings for 7/53 to give New Zealand their first series win in India and India their first home series defeat since 2012.
Despite a sore side, Santner missed just one over from his end since he started bowling in the first innings.
He was instrumental in intercepting India’s audacious bid for a chase of 359, which was fuelled by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 77 off 65, which took India to 96/1 at better than a run a ball. Santner had little support from the other end as Ajaz Patel’s ordinary series continued and Glenn Phillips mixed easy deliveries with good ones.
It is not often that New Zealand spinners bowl them to a test win on their own. Here, Santner was being asked to do it on his own, having never taken more than three wickets in a test innings before this test. He was the only one who maintained some control during the Jaiswal onslaught.
‘NZ’s place in history assured’
Tim Wigmore, The Telegraph UK
New Zealand sealed one of the most extraordinary series victories in test match history, defeating India by 113 runs in Pune to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
With one more test in the series, New Zealand’s place in history is assured. They are the first team to defeat India in a series in India since England’s come-from-behind win in 2012. India had won their previous 18 test series at home, comfortably the longest such streak in history.
After New Zealand’s seamers clinched their victory in Bangalore, when Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke combined to bowl India out for 46 on the opening morning, the pitch in Pune was set up to assist spin.
Yet India’s brilliant array of spin bowlers were outbowled by Mitchell Santner, New Zealand’s left-armer.
Santner had not even been picked in the first test, and arrived in Pune with an average of 42.2 in 28 tests. Yet, bowling with great accuracy and varying his pace subtly, Santner produced one of New Zealand’s greatest test performances, taking 7/53 in the first innings, and then – defying a side strain – 6/104 in the second as India were bowled out for 245 in pursuit of 359 to win.
‘One of the best test performances by a New Zealander’
Kris Shannon, NZ Herald
New Zealand have followed one of their best test wins with one of the best test performances by a New Zealander.
Mitchell Santner tore through an explosive batting order for the second time in as many days as the Black Caps claimed a first and famous test series victory in India.
Six days after securing an eight-wicket win in Bengaluru, Santner bowled his side to a 113-run triumph in Pune, collecting 13-157 for the third-best bowling figures in this nation’s history.
The comprehensive margins of the two matches reflected the gulf in quality between the sides, with the tourists thoroughly outplaying the team atop the World Test Championship standings.
They did so while Kane Williamson remained watching from home, while Matt Henry stood on the sidelines after starring last week. They did it on pitches tailored to the strengths of India, who had begun the month riding a 14-series winning streak in their own conditions.
They brushed off a barren record of two drawn series from 12 trips to India – 1-1 in 1969 and 0-0 in 2003 – and cast aside any ruction caused by four straight losses that prompted a captaincy change from Tim Southee to Tom Latham.
And in overcoming all those obstacles, they achieved a result unmatched even by the team who claimed the inaugural World Test Championship three years ago.
India’s hopes extinguished by Santner
Sam Drury, BBC
New Zealand completed a historic first test series victory in India with a 113-run win in the second test that ended the hosts’ 12-year unbeaten streak.
The triumph in Pune gives the Black Caps an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and ends India’s remarkable run of 18 consecutive home series wins since Alastair Cook’s England clinched a famous 2-1 triumph in December 2012.
After New Zealand were bowled out for 255 on the third morning, India were set 359 to win and maintain their proud unbeaten home record.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s half-century gave them hope but that was soon extinguished by Mitchell Santner, who took 6-104 to finish with 13 wickets in the match.
India were eventually bowled out for 245 in the evening session.
The hosts had made a rapid start thanks to Jaiswal’s quickfire 77 but, having taken seven wickets in the first innings, Santner began to work his magic again.
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Jaiswal all fell to the left-arm spinner before Santner ran out Rishabh Pant, and he proceeded to claim the key wicket of Virat Kohli as India collapsed to 147-5.
“It is a collective failure,” said India captain Rohit. “The team has failed to accept the challenge thrown at us.”
There was some resistance from Ravindra Jadeja but the all-rounder was the last man out for 42, leaving New Zealand to celebrate a comprehensive, famous victory.
