IND vs NZ: India’s dismal collapse against Mitchell Santner puts unbeaten home record in jeopardy

At lunch on the second day, New Zealand – already 1-0 up in the series after a convincing win in Bengaluru (Image BCCI)

The last time India lost a Test series at home was to Alastair Cook’s England nearly 12 years ago. If that proud record is to remain intact, Rohit Sharma’s team will need to play out of their skins over the next two days at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. At lunch on the second day, New Zealand – already 1-0 up in the series after a convincing win in Bengaluru – had reduced India to 107 for 7, still 152 behind on first innings. Mitchell Santner bowled quite beautifully for figures of 4-36, but India’s batters did a fair job of making him look like Bishan Singh Bedi.

India had negotiated a tricky passage of 11 overs on the first evening, losing Rohit’s wicket in the process. And though runs didn’t exactly flow off the bat, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a solid platform in the first 40 minutes of play. Gill, in particular, was severe on anything short or wide, but his exit, missing a straighter one from Santner to be trapped in front, triggered an almighty collapse.

Virat Kohli made 1 before an ugly smear across the line to a low Santner full toss. He missed, the ball didn’t, and India were suddenly 56-3. The next blows were dealt by the part-time off-spin of Glenn Phillips. Jaiswal, who had eschewed his usual attacking methods in favour of a circumspect approach, prodded at a quicker delivery and edged to slip, where Daryl Mitchell took a fine low catch.

Rishabh Pant slashed and burned his way to 18 at a run a ball before a shot even uglier than the one Kohli had played. His mow across the line connected with thin air, giving a delighted Phillips a second scalp. By then, Sarfaraz Khan, centurion in the first Test, had already played a couple of high-risk strokes that fell short of fielders, but there was no reprieve when he tried to go down the ground off a delivery that Santner held back just a touch.

Will O’Rourke pouched that chance at mid-off and India’s dismal morning took a turn for the worse when R Ashwin was plumb in front to one that kept low. With only Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar left, this match already has eerie echoes of the 2017 game against Australia, where Steve O’Keefe’s 12 wickets saw India shot out for 105 and 107 in a catastrophic 333-run defeat.