Another shambolic batting show in the first innings left India under mounting pressure as New Zealand extended their overall lead to 188 runs at tea on the second day of the second Test, here on Friday. After Mitchell Santner returned career-best 7/53 to decimate Indian batting on a low and slow turner for 156 all-out here at the MCA Stadium, Washington Sundar (1/19) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/34) struck once each but the contest seemed to be slipping away rapidly from India's grasp.
Tom Latham stroked his way to an unbeaten 37 with six boundaries with Rachin Ravindra (7 not out) at the other end, as New Zealand batters largely dominated the Indian bowlers to reach 85 for two at the tea break. New Zealand are looking at a historic maiden Test series win in India for the first time in 68 years, having first come here in 1955-56.
None of the New Zealand batters faced any apparent trouble batting on the pitch shortly after the star-studded Indian batting line-up cut a sorry figure for the second time in this series as they made elementary mistakes.
It was only in the last Test in Bengaluru that their all-time lowest score at home of 46 all-out was behind their first loss to the Kiwis in 36 years in their own backyard.
On Friday afternoon, India folded a mere 156 in 45.3 overs as spunky New Zealand continued to perform way better compared to the hosts on their own soil, earning a lead of 103 runs in the first essay.
With their backs firmly pressed against the wall and 152 runs in deficit, Ravindra Jadeja took upon himself to reduce the margin but could not make a big dent.
Jadeja hit Santner for a couple of fours and cleared the ropes twice against Ajaz Patel but eventually fell for 38 off 46 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Washington Sundar was unbeaten on 18 when India's innings ended as the tail stood no chance after harakiri from the specialist batters.
Earlier in the day, India's frailties against spin came to the fore again as a shocking collapse saw the hosts slip to 107/7 at lunch, trailing by another 152 runs in the first innings.
If it was trial by pace and seam in the Bengaluru Test, it was regulation spin on a low-bounce surface that exposed the Indian batters in Friday's morning session.
On a low and turning wicket, Indian batters lacked in application and sound judgement as elementary mistakes saw the team staring at an enormous task of reducing the deficit and stay in the contest.
Resuming at 16/1, India lost six wickets for a mere 91 runs in the first session.
DAY 1
All-rounder Washington Sundar justified his selection with a career-best 7/59 to help India bowl out New Zealand for 259, but the hosts lost skipper Rohit Sharma early in their first innings when stumps were drawn on day of the second Test, here on Thursday. India crawled to 16 for one in 11 overs with Yashasvi Jaiswal (6 not out) and Shubman Gill (10 not out) at the crease, trailing by another 243 runs in the first innings. Tim Southee cleaned up Rohit for a nine-ball duck, forcing the hosts to be extra cautious with the debacle of first innings in the Bengaluru Test still fresh in the mind.
Rohit, who was cleaned up for the third time in the series and for the second time by Southee, was squared up as he looked to defend in the line of the delivery but the ball moved away to beat his outside edge and crash into the off-stump. Southee thus became the first among fast bowlers to take a wicket in this Test after a dominating show by the Indian spin duo of Sundar and R Ashwin (3/64), who did not allow New Zealand to break free.
The 25-year-old Sundar, playing his first Test for India since March, 2021, ran through New Zealand after Ashwin claimed the first three wickets in the innings to move past his Australian peer Nathan Lyon in the list of highest wicket-takers in Tests. Ashwin began by trapping New Zealand captain Tom Latham (15) in front of the wickets and getting Will Young (18) caught behind in the first session, while Sundar took the centrestage towards the end of the second.
While he was measly to begin with as New Zealand batters looked to consolidate, Sundar reaped rich dividends for his perseverance. He swung the momentum in India's favour with two late wickets in the second session, including the in-form Rachin Ravindra, as New Zealand stumbled to 201/5 at tea. Ravindra's dismissal close to the tea break proved instrumental as New Zealand could never recover from the blow and folded in the final session without much resistance. The young batter looked primed for another big knock but Sundar's brilliance stopped him in his tracks. Of his seven dismissals in an outstanding spell on a day one wicket, Sundar showed mastery in hitting the off-stump to snare five of his victims bowled, one pinned in front of the wickets while the other caught by fellow tweaker Ashwin.
Among those who were cleaned up by the Indian spinner were Ravindra, Tom Blundell (3), Mitchell Santner (33), Tim Southee (5) and Ajaz Patel (4). The highlight, however, was the manner in which he cleaned up the in-form Ravindra, who looked good after his efforts of 134 and 39 not out in New Zealand's eight-wicket win in the opening Test. Sundar pitched the ball just perfectly to have it spinning away from Ravindra's bat and crash into the off-stump, beating the in-form batter fair and square who had otherwise struck a perfect balance in attack and defence.
At the top, Conway managed 76 from 141 balls with 11 fours but he was among Ashwin's three wickets at the top. The Kiwis' opener used his reverse sweeps against the spinners and drives down the wicket against the Indian pacers to good effect to accumulate his runs, but he had only himself to blame for missing out on scoring a century again.
On an innocuous delivery outside off, Conway went for a stroke but got an edge to be caught behind off Ashwin. New Zealand's woes compounded when off-colour batters in skipper Latham and Mitchell continued to struggle for runs despite spending considerable time in the middle.