NEW DELHI: It is a rare sight when the hunter becomes the hunted. India, known for dominating opponents at home, especially on spin-friendly, dusty tracks, were at the mercy of Mitchell Santner’s spin.
After bowling out New Zealand for 259 on the turning surface of Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, India’s batters faltered and collapsed like a house of cards to just 156 runs, conceding a sizeable 103-run lead in the second Test . India are already trailing 0-1 in the three-match series after losing the Bengaluru Test by eight wickets.
The dismissals of key players – Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – have reignited discussions about India’s battle against spin.
This is not the first time that Team India, despite preparing turning lanes for their opponents, has fallen into their own trap. Let’s look at some previous examples:

INDIA vs AUSTRALIA, 3RD TEST, 2023, INDORE
The third Test between India and Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 was a crucial encounter, with the Aussies registering a nine-wicket win. India went into the match with confidence after winning the first two Tests and faced a tough challenge on the spinning track at Indore’s Holkar Stadium.

From day 1 the pitch started to rotate, allowing the Australian spinners to take advantage of the conditions.

Getty Images
In India’s first innings, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann led the Australian spin attack and bowled out the Indian side for just 109.
Australia’s response was anchored by Usman Khawaja’s raw performance, along with contributions from Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Although the Indian spinners, led by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, tried to fight back, Australia established a crucial lead in the first innings.
In their second innings, Lyon again wreaked havoc, claiming eight wickets. India eventually lost the match by nine wickets, but won the series 2–1.

INDIA vs ENGLAND, 1ST TEST, 2024, HYDERABAD
The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad provided curves and bounces as the match progressed.
Batting first, England posted a competitive total of 246, supported by solid innings from Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow, along with an aggressive lower-order contribution from Ben Stokes. Indian spinners Ashwin and Jadeja managed to contain the English batters and shared six wickets, while Axar Patel added two more.

Getty Images
In reply, India scored 436, with half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, building a healthy lead.
England showed determination in their second innings, led by a brilliant knock from Ollie Pope, who scored 196 runs, making India a challenging target. In their chase, India struggled with Tom Hartley’s clever spin and collapsed for just 202 runs. England won the match by 28 runs.
INDIA vs ENGLAND, 1ST TEST, 2021, CHENNAI
In the opening Test between India and England in Chennai in 2021, England registered a comprehensive victory of 227 runs to take an early lead in the four-match series.
England’s performance was led by an excellent double century from skipper Joe Root, who scored a magnificent 218, helping the team post a formidable 578 in their first innings.
In response, the Indian batsman struggled against the English bowlers. Dom Bess (4/76) and Jack Leach (2/105) spun webs around the Indian line-up and bowled out the hosts for 337 runs, giving England a significant lead.
India’s second innings saw another collapse, with the team putting out just 192 runs, largely thanks to Jack Leach’s four-wicket haul. England won the match by 227 runs.