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Santner’s heroics sealed New Zealand’s first Test series win in India

Posted on by Josh L
Santner’s heroics sealed New Zealand’s first Test series win in India

New Zealand made history with their first Test series triumph in India as spinner Mitchell Santner sealed a 113-run victory in the second match on Saturday.

New Zealand bowled out India for 245 in their chase of 359 on day three in Pune to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

This is India’s first Test series defeat at home since December 2012, when Alastair Cook’s England beat them 2-1.

Santner, who has 7-53 in his first innings of 156 innings, secured a famous victory, sparking the Indian chase with six wickets on a crucial innings and defeating the hosts in their own spin game.

The left-hander batted consistently from one side, returning figures of 6-104 in 29 overs.

Ajaz Patel took the last two wickets to end Ravindra Jadeja’s stand on 42 as the batsmen hunkered down in the deep and New Zealand celebrated by silencing the stands.

Until Saturday, a visiting New Zealand team had never won a Test series in India since their first trip in 1955.

India bowled out New Zealand for 255 inside the first hour of play, with opener Yashaswi Jaiswal in his 65-ball 77 coming into the attack to raise hopes of a miracle.

India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for eight but were 81-1 at lunch in 12 overs.

Santner bowled Shubman Gill for 23 shortly after the break to end a 62-run second wicket stand with left-hander Jaiswal, who stepped up after reaching his fifty.

Finally, the in-form player got Jaiswal to chip in, ran out Rishabh Pant for a duck and trapped Virat Kohli lbw, reducing India’s chances.

Glenn Phillips took the wicket of Washington Sundar for 21.

Indian spinners Sundar and Jadeja shared seven wickets in the second innings in New Zealand, with Jadeja claiming three of the five wickets on Saturday morning.

Sundar, a lanky off-spinner, returned to the Indian Test team after more than three years and took 7-59.

New Zealand posted 259 in their first innings on the backs of Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) before Santner led the team.

New Zealand have now won four Tests in India after their opening triumph was their first on Indian soil since 1988.

The series win follows New Zealand’s recent 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka on a tour of the subcontinent that began with a failed Test against Afghanistan near New Delhi.

Tim Southee retired after the defeat in Sri Lanka and Tom Latham took over as Test captain.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashaswi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah

NEW ZEALAND: Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (inc), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke