Indian captain Rohit Sharma with teammates in Pune. (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: New Zealand extended its lead over India to over 200 runs on Day 2 of the second Test at the MCA Stadium in Pune, where captain Tom Latham played a crucial half-century in their second innings.
This puts India in a challenging position as they have only successfully chased down a target of more than 200 once since 2012, home or away. That last win at home, while chasing a target of 200-plus, came against the same opponent, New Zealand, when India chased 261 short in Bengaluru in 2012. Since then, their only successful chase of a similar target came in 2021 against Australia in the Gabba.
Scorecard: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test
India’s batting performance in the first innings raised serious concerns in Pune. After bowling out New Zealand for 259, led by Washington Sundar’s impressive 7 for 59, the Indian batsmen faltered. Mitchell Santner’s career-best figures of 7 for 53 dismantled the Indian line-up, with the team folding for just 156 and taking a 103-run first-innings lead.
This was the second consecutive time in the series that India had taken a lead of more than 100 runs at home, a feat not seen since 2001 against Australia. Back then, India managed to turn things around and win the series, and the team will be hoping for a similar result this time.

However, with New Zealand holding a substantial lead and the Indian batsmen struggling with spin, the task ahead looks daunting.
To win this Test and level the series, India will need a remarkable fourth-innings performance, something they have rarely achieved in the last decade.