Mitchell Santner had a memorable tour of Sri Lanka earlier this summer, returning with a solitary wicket in three innings. But on Friday on a turning track in Pune, Santner, like fellow defensive white-ball spinner Washington Sundar, engineered a major batting collapse, taking four of the six wickets that fell on the second morning of the second Test match.

India looked to take the lead in the first innings on Friday morning, having bundled out the hosts for 259 on Day 1 after the latter opted to bat first. However, towards the opening hour, Santner, utilizing his natural variation and slower deliveries compared to Indian spinners on Day 1, sent Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli packing. Later, just before lunch, he dismissed Sarfaraz Khan, who stared a majestic 150 for India in the Bengaluru Test, albeit on a losing cause, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Santner’s four wickets and two from Glenn Phillips left India at 107 for seven at lunch, still trailing by more than 150 runs in the match.

Following the collapse in Pune caused by the New Zealand spinner, compatriot and former cricketer Simon Doull, speaking to JioCinema over lunch, debunked a major ‘misconception’ surrounding modern Indian batsmen as he felt that unlike the general opinion, are only as good as all the other hitters around the world.

“I think there is a misconception worldwide that these modern Indian players can play spin better than anyone else. They’re not. They are the same as everyone else around the world. Gone are the days of Ganguly, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid. Sachin was so, so good against spin and the era before that. I think good quality spinners are as good at getting India on the track as Indian spinners are against good quality opponents. And as soon as they see a turning point in IPL, they complain,” he said.

Santner completes the first five-wicket haul

Just after lunch, Santner took his first five-wicket haul of Test career after dismissing Ravindra Jadeja. It was also his second in first-class cricket after 5/51 for Northern Districts vs Central Districts at Mount Maunganui in 2022/23. He became the 16th visiting New Zealand bowler to take a five-wicket haul in an innings in India.

He later dismissed Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah to complete a seven-wicket haul, just as Sundar did for India on Day 1, when India were folded for just 156. His 7 for 53 is now the second-best bowling figure by a New Zealander. bowler in India after Ajaz Patel’s historic ten-fer in 2021.