Mitchell Santner scripts these records with seven-fer in Pune Test
Star New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has registered his career-best figures in the ongoing second Test against India. The match is being played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. Santner's brilliant seven-wicket haul helped New Zealand bundle India for 156 runs after lunch on day two. This came in reply to New Zealand's first-innings score of 259 all out.
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. Notably, he hadn't taken a five-wicket haul in Tests before this match. By the end of the first session today, his figures read an impressive 4/36.
Santner's post-lunch performance seals career-best figures
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. His previous best was four wickets for 36 runs. In the Pune Test, Santner started by sending Shubman Gill back for 30 and then got rid of Virat Kohli for a mere one run in the next over.
Santner's key dismissals leave India trailing
Santner also dismissed Sarfraz Khan for 11 and Ravichandran Ashwin just before lunch, with India trailing by 152 runs. Post-lunch, despite a partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, which added over 40 runs to India's total, Santner ended their stand by dismissing Jadeja LBW. His final wickets were Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, which handed New Zealand a lead of 103 runs.
Seven-fer 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).
Santner scripts these records
As per Cricbuzz, Santner recorded the third-best figures for NZ vs India in Tests. He is only behind Ajaz Patel (10/119 in 2021) and Richard Hadlee (7/23 in 1976). The left-arm spinner had 54 Test wickets before this game. Among NZ internationals, only John Reid (63) and Richard Collinge (61) had more Test scalps before their first fifer.
