Santner 'shocked' after dismissing Kohli on full-toss in 2nd Test
New Zealand's left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, was left surprised after he claimed Indian cricket star Virat Kohli's wicket during the second Test match at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Kohli missed a full-toss from Santner which hit his middle-stump, leaving both the stadium and Santner in stunned silence. "I was in more of a shock getting Kohli out off a full-toss. He doesn't usually miss those," said Santner in a post-match conference.
Santner's strategy behind Kohli's dismissal
Santner also revealed his strategy behind the unexpected dismissal of Kohli. He said that the delivery was slightly slower through the air, a deliberate attempt to change his usual pace. "It was slightly slower through the air. I just tried to change it up a little bit, but usually, if you bowl those, they go for six," he said.
Santner's pace variations put Indian batters under pressure
Santner's clever pace variations on a turning surface, which ranged from mid-70s to mid-90s kph, put the Indian batters under significant pressure. Not only did this strategy disrupt India's batting lineup, but it also saw Santner claiming seven wickets in the innings. "I tend to do that a lot in white-ball cricket, changing the pace," he said, emphasizing his successful approach against India.
Santner praises Sundar's performance in the match
Santner also praised Indian spinner Washington Sundar's performance in the match, noting his effective use of pace variations. "Washy (Washington Sundar) did that as well. He did that very well," he said. This mutual admiration between the two spinners highlights their shared understanding of the game's intricacies and strategies.
Santner's exceptional performance puts India on back foot
India resumed Day 2 from an overnight score of 16/1, adding 91 runs in the morning session and another 49 runs post-lunch. But Santner's brilliant bowling put the hosts on the back foot. By the end of the first session today, his figures read an impressive 4/36. Santner carried his brilliant form into the post-lunch session, claiming three more wickets. This saw him record his best Test innings figures of 7/53.
Maiden Test five-wicket haul for Santner
Santner was nearly unplayable as he claimed 7/53 in 19.3 overs. As per ESPNcricinfo, this was his maiden Test fifer and only his second in First-Class cricket. The 32-year-old has now raced to 61 wickets across 28 Tests at 38.19. 17 of his scalps have come against India at 33.94. With the bat, he has mustered 937 Test runs at 24.65 (50s: 3, 100: 1).
Kohli has been dismissed 21 times by spinners since 2021
Kohli hasn't fared well against spinners in Asia since 2021 in Tests. Across 26 innings, Kohli has gone on to score 606 runs while being dismissed a total of 21 times. His average reads 28.85 and he owns a strike rate of 49.67. He has faced 1,220 deliveries out of which 841 have been dot balls. Across five innings in home Tests this year, Kohli has been dismissed four times. He owns 119 runs from 154 balls at 29.75.
