Mitchell Santner joins Daniel Vettori in elite list after registering career-best figures in Tests

If not for the ongoing Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, it wouldn’t have been for Mitchell Santner to get incorporated into the mix. Santner, who was not a part of the XI in the first Test, immediately struck an instant blow on his arrival. First, his 33-run knockdown the order accounted for some precious runs to the New Zealand total.

However, his prime contribution came during India’s first essay with the bat. It was Santner’s left-arm spin that ripped open the Indian batting lineup like a hot knife through butter. Much like Washington Sundar in the first innings, he bagged a seven-wicket haul. Not to compare performances, but Santner’s outing with the ball was a tad bit more impressive than what Sundar achieved. This is solely because he not only registered a career-best of 7/53 in 19.3 overs but also because it came against a highly proficient team filled with batters having astute technique while countering spin.

He became only the fifth spinner in the history of New Zealand cricket to take a five-wicket haul against in India in red-ball cricket. The elusive roster consisted of former Kiwi skipper, Daniel Vettori, who appeared on two occasions. The two instances wherein he picked up a five-for read figures of 6/127 in Kanpur in 1999 and 5/135 in Hyderabad in 2010.

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Best bowling figures for Kiwi spinners in India:

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What made Santner a success during India’s first innings was his ability to fly the ball up to the batters without being afraid of getting hit. It was one of the main reasons why he could extract the purchase he made from the surface.

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