The second day of the ongoing Test match between India and New Zealand in Pune has provided a wealth of statistical milestones and remarkable performances. Here’s a breakdown of the key highlights from the day’s play.
Mitchell Santner’s Historic Bowling Performance
– 7/53 by Mitchell Santner marks the second-best figures by a New Zealand spinner in an innings in Test history. Only Ajaz Patel’s 10/119 against India at the Wankhede Stadium in 2021 surpasses this feat.
| Player | Figures | Against | Venue | Season |
| Ajaz Patel | 10/119 | Ind | Mumbai WS | 2021/22 |
| Mitchell Santner | 7/53 | Ind | Pune | 2024/25 |
| S Boock | 7/87 | Pak | Hyderabad (Pak) | 1984/85 |
| D Vettori | 7/87 | Aus | Auckland | 1999/00 |
| M Craig | 7/94 | Pak | Sharjah | 2014/15 |
| D Vettori | 7/130 | SL | Wellington | 2006/07 |
– Santner’s figures of 7/53 are also the third-best by a New Zealand bowler against India in Tests, following Ajaz Patel’s and Richard Hadlee’s legendary 7/23 in Wellington in 1976.
| Player | Figures | Venue | Season |
| Ajaz Patel | 10/119 | Mumbai WS | 2021/22 |
| Richard Hadlee | 7/23 | Wellington | 1975/76 |
| Mitchell Santner | 7/53 | Pune | 2024/25 |
| T Southee | 7/64 | Bengaluru | 2012/13 |
| S Doull | 7/65 | Wellington | 1998/88 |
Milestones and Records
– With 54 wickets, Santner is now third among New Zealand bowlers for the most wickets at the time of achieving his maiden five-wicket haul, trailing only John Reid (63) and Richard Collinge (61). Santner reached this milestone in his 29th Test, with a previous best of 3/34.
– Notably, 4 of Santner’s dismissals were LBWs, the joint-most by a bowler in Tests in India. The last visiting bowler to achieve this feat was Steve O’Keefe in 2017.
Unprecedented Spin Dominance
– Across the first two innings, 19 wickets were taken by spinners, marking the joint second-most in a match on Indian soil. The record for most wickets taken by spinners in a match dates back to 1952, when all 20 first-innings wickets fell to spin in Kanpur.
– This match has seen a rare occurrence of two bowlers claiming seven-wicket hauls in each of the first two innings, with Washington Sundar taking 7/59 and Santner responding with 7/53. This is the first instance of this happening with spinners in the last 25 years.
India’s Struggles with First Innings Leads
– India’s situation mirrors a troubling trend, as they have now conceded a first-innings lead of over 100 runs in consecutive home Tests for the first time since 2001. They conceded 356 runs in Bengaluru and 103 runs in this Test, with the last instance of successfully coming back from such a deficit occurring in 2001 against Australia.
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Young Talent Shines
– Yashasvi Jaiswal has made history by becoming just the fifth batter and the first Indian to accumulate 1000+ runs in a calendar year before turning 23. He aims to surpass Alastair Cook’s previous record of 1000 runs in 2006, with Graeme Smith’s 1198 runs in 2003 as the benchmark.
Bowling Speeds Comparison
– The New Zealand spinners averaged 84.5 kph off wicket deliveries in India’s first innings, whereas Indian spinners averaged 90.0 kph while bowling out the Kiwis. Santner’s best delivery was clocked at 89.9 kph, while Sundar reached 94.1 kph.