Santner gifts seven wickets to India for New Zealand to get a headstart of 103-run lead

Santner gifts seven wickets to India to for New Zealand to get a headstart of 103-run lead

Despite a few questionable decisions in the second session, New Zealand emerged with a 103-run lead, thanks to a career-best seven-wicket haul by Mitchell Santner. Mitchell Santner had delivered an outstanding performance, claiming seven wickets and propelling New Zealand to a significant first-innings lead of 103 runs—his first five-wicket haul in Tests and only the second of his first-class career.

New Zealand opted to bowl Ajaz Patel instead of Glenn Phillips to two left-handers at the crease, which along with a missed review, cost them 32 runs in four overs. Another missed review early in the session allowed Ravindra Jadeja to add 17 more runs, ending on 38. However, on a pitch that offered both sharp turns and deceptive straight balls, Santner relentlessly attacked the stumps and consistently created opportunities. Jadeja was eventually trapped lbw by a full delivery. Later, Santner’s slower, teasing turn outwitted Akash Deep after he had managed a six, and a straighter one dismissed Jasprit Bumrah while Washington Sundar pushed India past 150 by attacking Ajaz.

Earlier, Santner and Phillips had kept a tight grip on the scoring rate, taking six wickets in the morning to reduce India to 107 for 7. From the outset, the pitch revealed its unpredictability, with balls from Santner behaving differently from the same spot: one barely turned, another angled in dangerously, and a third spun past the outside edge. Santner dominated throughout the session, ending with figures of 14-1-34-4. Though it took patience to claim the first wicket—Shubman Gill in the 11th over—the challenge for each new batter was evident.

Once Virat Kohli was bowled for 1 after missing a full toss, Tom Latham brought on Phillips, who quickly removed the two left-handers, one with turn and one with a straight, low delivery. During the first hour, New Zealand kept pressing with attacking fields, even as Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted big shots. Known to counterattack in such situations, India was eager to be aggressive, but Santner’s controlled bowling restrained them. Gill managed a six off Tim Southee, though he had to charge down the pitch, and Jaiswal resorted to a reverse-sweep to find the boundary.

Santner’s persistence paid off when he finally had an lbw call go his way. As the DRS timer ticked down, the crowd erupted for Kohli’s arrival at the crease, though he departed soon after, bowled by a full toss he tried to hit square.

As the roller’s effect faded, even full deliveries were hard to hit cleanly. Some stayed low, adding to the batters' doubts. The fielders closed in, and the pressure mounted as Jaiswal’s edge off Phillips was taken at slip, while Rishabh Pant misjudged a pull that stayed low and bowled him, leading to a reaction that could land him in hot water.

Sarfaraz Khan, effective against spin before, found little margin for error here. He struggled to find scoring options, eventually falling to a lofted shot that didn’t connect well, reminiscent of Phillips’ dismissal on day one. A low shooter then accounted for R Ashwin, marking the first time Santner took more than three wickets in a Test innings.