NEW DELHI: Spinner Mitchell Santner claimed a match haul of 13 wickets, guiding New Zealand to their first-ever Test series victory in India with a 113-run win in the second match on Saturday.
New Zealand bowled out India for 245 in their chase of 359 on day three in Pune, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Santner, who took 7/53 to give the Black Caps the upper hand on Friday, ended with 6/104 for a match haul of 13 to set up the historic win for New Zealand.
Santner expressed satisfaction in contributing to the team’s success, highlighting how difficult it is to win a Test series in India. The victory is especially gratifying for the New Zealand side.
As a spinner, Santner emphasizes the importance of consistency—landing the ball in the same spot with subtle variations in pace, which is the team’s strategy as a spin unit. Every wicket boosted his confidence and kept him going through the challenge.
“Not really (bowled differently in second innings?). Felt a little harder this time. Credit to India for the way they came out. That was the best way on that wicket. We were just hanging in. My side’s a bit sore. 20-odd overs in a row. I guess in that kind of situation you just want to keep going,” Santner, who won Player of the Match award, said.
“Everytime I got a wicket it felt a little better. Nice to contribute to the team. Winning a series over here is very tough. Obviously very pleasing for us. Everytime you take wickets you feel confident. Landing the ball in the same spot all the time with little changes in pace – that’s what we try and do as a spin unit,” he added.
Kiwis broke India’s string of 18 consecutive Test series wins at home. It was also India’s only fourth Test series defeat in their own backyard since the turn of the century.
The heavy defeat means that India stay on top in the WTC table with 98 points but their percentage points (62.82) got hit badly as Australia are now marginally behind at 62.50.
